:Mw..pi:."V^n^ 

I^^^Pvi  lib 

Wm        Mill 


BilllliHa^^  uiiLii 


jf*V~-&-  \/  ^tej^Plfca, 

*3 

P^//2§B  1 

1    ft 

w\\^il  r 

■SI 

j^HIk 

fe 

|ShA  \y3Wj  I V 

mmmmmM^mMMmM^^^^M^MMU 


Jb 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


UNIVERSITY  OF  |||,.,M   ,    „ 

NORTHCAROUNA  I    I  I  I  I  |  |  |  |   |   || 


School  of   LlbtBtf 
S«isnaa 


00022085823 


^W^-z)    ^zc^     ^■c^S)  Ir-V^^k^J 


I  fM^M 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://www.archive.org/details/waldorffamilyOOembu 


i.< 


smu 


M^L®@C§[F   [FARfflDyTs 


(<n^^;^^§5!^^fllS®^'^n^9^\^Si^^^5l^^^^lv^ 


^     < 


BY 


DBS.  IMMA  (Do  M3BOT¥< 


New   Uork: 

PUBLISHED  BY  JOHN  C.   HIKER, 

No     129   FULTON    STREET. 

1848. 


I 


sr^-mrJVr*^ '  _  a  -=^^gg*=33s^= 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1848, 

BY   J.    C.    RIKER, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


Thomas  B.  Smith,  Stereotyper, 
216  William  Street,  N.  Y. 


Egbert,  Hovey  and  King,  Printers, 
374  Featl  Street. 


TJ^Tai^SjfcyS 


PREFACE. 


0  much  has  been  done  in  modern 
times  to  convert  little  children  into 
precocious  men  and  women,  that  a 
work  like  the  one  now  offered  to 
youthful  readers,  almost  seems  to 
require  an  apology.  I  have  always 
thought  that  an  attractive  fairy  tale,  so 
thoroughly  pervaded  by  a  fine  moral 
truth,  that  the  youthful  mind  cannot  but 
imbibe  its  influence,  is  of  far  more  effective 
benefit  than  an  overstrained  moral  tale, 
whose  improbable  incidents,  and  exaggerated  ideas  of 
excellence,  tend  to  give  false  views  of  life  and  its  duties. 

3 


This  opinion  lias  been  confirmed  by  my  acquaintance 
with  a  child  of  exceedingly  lovely  and  high-toned  char- 
acter, who  always  refused  to  read  any  thing  that  was 
not  strictly  true  or  palpably  false.  Her  first  question, 
when  presented  with  a  book,  would  be,  "Is  it  true?" 
If  it  was  not,  she  would  ask:  "Is  it  a  fairy  tale?" 
And  if  it  was  neither  the  one  nor  the  other,  all  her 
fondness  for  reading  could  not  induce  her  to  accept  it. 
The  reason  she  assigned  for  this  apparent  inconsistency 
was  significant  of  the  truthfulness  which  is  still  her 
prevailing  trait :  "  I  don't  like  books  that  pretend  to  be 
true;  give  me  either  histories  or  fairy  tales." 

The  fine  moral  which  runs  through  the  legends  of 
Brittany,  and  the  quaint  simplicity  of  their  details, 
tempted  me  to  array  them  in  a  garb  which  would  render* 
them  presentable  to  American  children.  This  I  have 
done  by  taking  off  the  trappings  of  superstition,  without 
depriving  them  of  then'  original  Breton  costume,  to 
which  they  owe  so  much  of  their  picturesqueness.     It 


would  have  been  impossible  to  translate  them  literally, 
and  they  have  therefore  been  re-written,  after  a  thorough 
investigation  of  the  manners,  customs,  and  traditions  of 
the  primitive  people  to  whom  they  belong.  If  this  little 
volume  serves  to  associate  my  name  in  the  hearts  of  my 
young  readers  with  the  pleasant  recollections  of  a  happy 
childhood,  I  shall  feel  myself  amply  repaid  for  my  labor. 

E.  C.  E. 

5 


< 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   WALDORF    FAMILY, 


CHAPTER  H. 

JOHN  redthroat;    or,  the  golden  herb, 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE   THREE    GIFTS, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    QUEEN    OF   THE   PEARL   ISLANDS, 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE    FARMER'S   FRIEND, 


PAQB 

9 


34 


56 


.     1Q 


111 


• 


CHAPTER  VI. 

KERISJ  OR,  THE  PRINCESS  OF  THE  GOLDEN  KEYS,   .  13-i 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PERONNEK   THE   IDIOT;     OR,    THE    GOLDEN   BASIN   AND 

THE   DIAMOND   LANCE, 148 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE   KORILS    OP   FAIRY-COPSE  ;     OR,    THE  HUNCHBACK,    171 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  GOLD   HUNTERS;    OR,   THE   STONES   OP  PLOUHINIC,    199 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  PALACE  IN  THE  SAND  ;  OR,  THE  TEMPTATION 

OF  PEREK, 215 


CONCLUSION, 


.  222 


GRANDFATHER'S    LEGENDS. 


CHAPTER    I. 


WENT  Y  years  ago,  when  Brook- 
lyn was  just  emerging  from  its 
villagehood,  and  had  not  yet  be- 
come the  great  city  it  now  is,  the 
abode  of  Mr.  Albert  Waldorf  was 
one  of  the  loveliest  among  its 
many  beautiful  and  rural  residences. 
Situated  directly  upon  the  Heights, 
overlooking  the  superb  bay  of  New 
York,  and  commanding  a  wide  view 
in  all  directions,  its  position  was  one  of 
unrivalled  beauty.  The  house  was  a  pic- 
turesque, cottage-like  building,  completely 
embowered  in  trees,  and  tapestried  over  with  vines 
and  climbing  plants.     Every  column  of  the  broad 


=*^rs^S=^Szrz^?= 


piazza  was  twined  with  fragrant  honeysuckles,  and 
every  projecting  angle  served  for  the  support  or 
shelter  of  some  flowering  shrub.  During  the  sum- 
mer it  was  like  a  bird's  nest,  buried  in  the  midst 
of  foliage  and  blossoms,  and  in  winter  the  ever- 
greens that  dotted  the  lawn,  the  conservatory  filled 
with  rare  exotics,  and  a  large  aviary  swarming 
with  birds,  seemed  to  despoil  the  gloomy  season  of 
half  its  dreariness. 

Mr.  Waldorf,  the  owner  of  this  tasteful  and  hap- 
py home,  was  by  birth  a  German,  but  he  had  left 
his  native  country  at  so  early  an  age,  that  the  rec- 
ollections of  boyhood  and  the  tie  of  filial  love  alone 
remained  to  bind  him  to  his  '  Fatherland.'  Amer- 
ica had  been  the  scene  of  his  struggles  and  difficul- 
ties in  early  manhood.  The  country  of  his  adop- 
tion had  yielded  him  the  success  he  had  so  well 
deserved,  and  now,  a  competent  fortune,  an  excel- 
lent wife,  and  five  rosy,  healthy,  happy  children, 
had  filled  the  measure  of  his  desires.  Dividing  his 
time  equally  between  his  oounting-room  and  his 
home,  he  found  full  employment  for  all  his  faculties 


in  the  complicated  duties  of  life.  Neither  he  nor 
his  wife  could  bring  themselves  to  believe  that  a 
parent's  duties  are  fully  performed,  when  children 
are  fed,  clothed,  and  sent  to  school.  They  knew 
how  easily  the  seeds  of  error  are  sown  in  the 
youthful  heart,  and  how  secretly  they  may  spring 
up  into  evil  habits.  They  were  wise  enough  to 
know  that  children  must  be  not  only  taught  to  hate 
evil,  but  also  to  love  good.  They  did  not  set  up 
in  their  household  an  image  of  Duty,  cold,  for- 
bidding, and  disagreeable,  and  then  call  upon  their 
children  to  bow  down  before  it.  They  placed 
before  them  a  fairer  and  truer  semblance  of  Virtue, 
clad  in  the  "beauty  of  holiness,"  and  wearing 
the  gracious  aspect  of  benevolence  and  affection. 
They  taught  that  goodness  and  happiness  go  hand 
in  hand  in  early  life,  even  if  the  wickedness  of  the 
world  separates  them  in  after  days,  and  that  the 
happiest  children  are  always  those  who,  having  a 
clear  perception  of  their  duties,  strive  most  ear- 
nestly to  perform  them. 

At   the   period  of  time   when   our   story  com- 

u 


mences,  Edith  Waldorf,  the  eldest  child,  had  just 
counted  her  fifteenth  birthday.  Her  character  was 
one  of  rare  excellence.  Quiet  and  gentle  in  her 
manners,  she  yet  possessed  a  degree  of  firmness 
and  self-control,  which  is  seldom  found  combined 
with  so  much  sweetness  of  temper.  She  had  won- 
derfully clear  views  of  right  and  wrong.  From 
her  infancy  she  seemed  to  have  had  an  innate  idea 
of  truth,  and  never  was  known  to  deviate  from  the 
strictest  integrity  of  word  or  deed.  Her  skill  in 
music  had  long  been  the  delight  of  her  father,  who 
loved  nothing  better  than  the  little  family  concerts 
in  which  Edith  and  her  mother  would  play  duets 
on  the  piano,  while  he  accompanied  them  on  the 
violin,  and  Wilhelm,  the  eldest  son,  joined  them 
with  the  flute. 

The  boys  differed  widely  in  disposition,  though 
they  were  closely  united  in  the  bonds  of  affection. 
Wilhelm  was  grave  and  quiet  in  his  demeanor, 
fond  of  books,  and  rather  retiring  in  all  his  habits. 
Frank  was  a  lively,  spirited  boy,  full  of  talent,  and 
possessed  of  great  vividness  of  fancy  ;  while  Philip 


12 


=^-—-  8^^  --    ,.\  _- 


was  yet  too  young  to  exhibit  any  great  peculi- 
arities, except  a  degree  of  tenderness  and  affection, 
which  made  every  one  love  him.  But  little  Bertha, 
the  three-year-old  darling  of  the  family,  was  the 
pet  and  plaything.  She  alone  was  privileged  to 
toss  over  Edith's  daintily-kept  drawers,  and  cabi- 
nets of  knick-knacks ;  she  might  tear  Wilhelm's 
drawings,  or  break  Frank's  kites,  or  toss  Phil's 
balls  into  the  fire,  yet  no  one  dreamed  of  being 
angry  with  little  Bertha.  She  was  a  creature  of 
rare  beauty,  with  a  loving  nature  and  a  most  mis- 
chievous spirit,  which  bade  fair  to  make  her  the 
only  spoiled  child  in  the  house. 

Mr.  "Waldorf  had  long  been  desirous  of  persuad- 
ing his  old  father  and  mother  to  end  their  days 
under  his  roof,  but  it  seemed  so  long  and  perilous 
a  journey  for  them  that  he  hesitated  to  urge  his 
wishes.  But  when  the  death  of  their  only  re- 
maining daughter  had  left  the  old  people  alone  in 
the  home  they  had  occupied  for  forty  years,  then 
then  thoughts  began  to  turn  towards  their  children 
in  America.     Little  persuasion  was  necessary  to 

13 


induce  them  to  leave  a  country  where  they  had 
no  longer  any  kindred,  and  the  Waldorf  family 
were  now  in  daily  expectation  of  beholding,  for  the 
first  time,  their  aged  relatives. 

"  I  wonder  if  grandfather  will  learn  to  speak 
English  :"  said  "Wilhelm,  as  he  sat  pondering  over 
his  German  grammar. 

"  You  forget  that  he  always  writes  to  me  in 
English,"  answered  his  mother.  "  He  studied  the 
language  when  first  your  father  married,  in  order 
that  he  might  correspond  with  his  new  daughter ; 
and  I  assure  you  I  valued  such  a  testimony  of  his 
kindliness  far  beyond  his  handsome  wedding-gifts." 

"  I  suppose  he  talks  broken  English,  like  old 
Anthony  the  gardener,"  exclaimed  Frank.  "  Wont 
it  be  droll  ?" 

"  If  it  should  be  the  case,  Frank,  I  hope  your 
love  of  fun  will  not  overcome  your  respect  for  old 
age." 

"  I  hope- not,  mother  ;  but  if  grandfather  should 
say  {  dish y  and  '  dat?  and  count  '  dirty-one,  dirty- 
two,'  like  Anthony,  I  am  sure  I  should  laugh." 


14 


S^^s«=^£"5^^^^^^^ 


"  I  presume  you  will  have  but  little  opportunity 
of  extracting  amusement  from  your  grandfather's 
blunders." 

"  Was  there  not  some  romantic  story  connected 
with  grandmother's  early  life  ?"  asked  Edith. 

"  Yes,"  replied  her  mother  ;  "  if  you  use  the 
word  romantic  in  its  best  sense,  and  mean  heroic 
and  self-devoted.  She  was  exceedingly  handsome, 
and  especially  noted  for  the  surpassing  beauty  of 
her  long,  fair  hair,  which,  when  she  stood  upright, 
flowed  nearly  to  her  feet.  Her  father  was  rich  in 
learning,  but  derived  a  very  small  income  from  his 
employment  as  tutor  in  one  of  the  universities. 
Her  mother's  death  left  her,  at  a  very  early  age,  to 
take  charge  of  a  household  which  was  to  be  con- 
ducted with  very  narrow  means,  and  her  father's 
studious,  abstracted  habits  threw  all  the  responsi- 
bility and  care  upon  her.  She  managed  admirably, 
however,  until  her  father  was  attacked  by  a  serious 
illness,  brought  on  by  severe  application  to  his 
studies.  His  disease  finally  fell  into  his  eyes  and 
produced  total  blindness.     Of  course  he  could  no 

15 


longer  earn  the  small  stipend  on  which  they  had 
relied  for  support,  and  they  were  threatened  with 
utter  destitution.  An  accidental  remark  which 
she  heard  respecting  the  skill  of  a  celebrated  oculist 
in  Vienna,  led  her  to  make  some  inquiry  of  the 
physician  who  attended  her  father  in  his  illness, 
and  he  fcankly  told  her  that  her  father's  blindness 
was  not  incurable.  From  that  moment  she  deter- 
mined to  find  the  means  of  visiting  Vienna.  Th^ir 
little  furniture  was  too  simple  and  of  too  rude  a 
kind  to  be  of  any  service  to  her  as  a  mode  of  rais- 
ing money,  but  she  had  a  few  ornaments,  the 
remains  of  her  mother's  better  days,  and  these  she 
immediately  sold.  The  sum  she  obtained  for  them 
was  small,  but  she  had  never  before  been  possessed 
of  half  so  much  money.  She  now  inquired  the 
cost  of  a  journey  to  Vienna,  and  was  frightened  to 
learn  that  it  would  far  exceed  her  present  means. 
She  again  had  recourse  to  the  person  who  had 
purchased  her  ornaments,  and  this  time  she  sacri- 
ficed her  last  remaining  treasure,  the  Little  gold 
cross  which  had  been  taken  from  the  neck  of  her 

16 


dead  mother,  when  she  was  laid  in  her  coffin.  The 
tears  she  shed  at  parting  with  this  relic  excited  the 
curiosity  of  the  purchaser,  who  was  a  sort  of  itin- 
erant dealer  in  knick-knacks,  and  at  length  she  told 
him  her  purposes  and  her  necessities.  The  man 
was  interested  in  the  young  girl's  story,  but  did  not 
forget  his  own  selfish  gains.  It  is  the  custom  for 
certain  small  traders  to  travel  into  Hungary, 
Poland,  Brittany,  and  the  surrounding  countries, 
in  order  to  purchase  human  hair,  a  commodity 
which  certainly  seems  to  us  a  most  extraordinary 
article  of  traffic.  The  peasant  girls  of  these  cold 
and  rugged  lands  generally  possess  superb  heads 
of  hair,  flaxen  in  color,  luxuriant  in  quantity,  and 
silky  in  texture.  Nothing  is  more  common  than 
for  a  maiden  to  sell  her  fine  tresses,  in  order  to 
procure  a  dowry  for  her  marriage.  The  pedler 
had  just  returned  from  a  business  tour  through 
Brittany,  and  was  well  qualified  to  estimate  the 
value  of  the  poor  girl's  magnificent  hair.  He  had 
seen  nothing  equal  to  it  in  length  and  beauty,  and 
he  proposed  to  purchase  it  at  a  fair  and  honest 


valuation,  well  knowing  that  he  could  reap  a  most 
exorbitant  profit  from  it  in  Paris.  She  was  young, 
and  probably  had  as  much  girlish  vanity  as  most 
of  her  companions.  At  first  she  shrunk  from  such 
despoilment  of  her  beautiful  tresses,  but  when  she 
found  that  the  sum  she  might  receive  for  them, 
added  to  her  little  hoard,  would  be  sufficient  to  pay 
their  expenses  to  Vienna,  she  no  longer  hesitated. 
She  unbraidcd  her  long  silken  locks,  and  sat  quietly 
while  the  cruel  scissors  severed  them,  one  after 
another.  Tears  stood  in  her  eyes  as  she  saw  them 
lying  so  lifelessly  upon  the  table  ;  but  repressing 
her  emotion,  with  a  feeling  of  shame  at  her  own 
weakness,  she  tied  on  her  bonnet,  gathered  up 
the  money,  and  went  silently  out." 

"  I  should  have  thought  the  hair-dealer  would 
have  felt  sorry,"  said  Edith. 

"  He  probably  expended  his  sympathy  in  giving 
her  a  full  price  for  his  bargain.  She  felt  that  she 
had  lost  a  woman's  chief  personal  ornament ;  but 
he  looked  upon  it  as  a  mere  article  of  trade,  which 
was  worth  more  in  his  hands  than  on  her  head." 

18 


"  What  did  her  father  say  ?" 

"  He  was  blind,  you  know,  and  could  know 
nothing  about  her  voluntary  sacrifice,  unless  she 
chose  to  tell  him,  but  this,  of  course,  she  did  not. 
He  was  persuaded  to  accompany  her  to  Vienna ; 
and  an  operation  was  there  performed  on  his  eyes, 
which  was  perfectly  successful.  He  was  restored 
to  sight,  and  his  daughter  no  longer  felt  that  she 
had  made  too  great  a  sacrifice.  He  was  so  ab- 
stracted and  unobserving  a  man,  that  he  did  not 
notice  the  loss  of  her  hair  ;  but  the  trader  had  told 
the  story  to  several  persons,  and  it  at  last  reached 
the  ears  and  excited  the  interest  of  some  influential 
persons,  who  were  both  able  and  ready  to  assist 
merit  in  distress.  An  inquiry  into  their  affairs  led 
to  the  establishment  of  the  father  in  a  lucrative 
professorship,  for  which  he  was  admirably  qualified, 
and  poverty  was  thenceforth  a  stranger  to  their  door." 

"  Then  those  beautiful  tresses  gave  sight  to  the 
blind,  and  wealth  to  the  poor  :  they  were  more 
worthy  of  honor  than  the  far-famed  hair  of  Bere- 
nice," said  Wilhelm. 

19 


"  They  did  more,  Wilhelm ;  for  when  your 
grandfather,  then  a  young  and  gifted,  but  poor 
scholar,  became  the  husband  of  this  good  daughter, 
the  remembrance  of  her  self-devotion  procured  for 
him  an  appointment  from  the  Emperor,  and  thus 
placed  him  in  circumstances  which  developed  his 
talents  and  virtues." 

"  Hurrah  !"  cried  Frank,  leaping  up  ;  "  every 
hair  on  her  head  was  worth  a  diamond.  But  what 
a  funny  idea  to  sell  one's  hair  !  I  did  not  know  a 
girl's  han  was  good  for  any  thing,  except  to  dangle 
about  her  face  in  curls,  or  to  be  bound  round  her 
ears  as  sleek  as  a  mole." 

"  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  in  the  months  of 
April  and  May  a  troop  of  hair-cutters  travel  into 
Brittany,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  the  long 
locks  of  the  peasant  girls ;  and  I  am  told  that  in 
the  other  countries  I  have  named  the  practice 
also  prevails.  The  manufacture  of  human  hair 
into  wigs  and  other  similar  devices  for  concealing 
the  ravages  of  time  or  disease,  is  so  extensive  in 
Paris,  that  six  or  seven  thousand  persons,  at  an 


expense  of  near  a  million  of  dollars,  are  annually 
employed  in  it." 

"  Did  grandmother  ever  recover  her  beautiful 
hair?"  asked  Edith. 

"  Not  entirely  ;  it  grew  again,  but  was  darker 
in  color,  less  luxuriant  in  quantity,  and  not  so  long. 
It  must  now  be  gray,  I  should  think,  for  she  is 
nearly  eighty  years  of  age.  I  have  not  seen  her 
since  the  first  year  of  my  marriage,  when  I  accom- 
panied your  father  on  a  visit  to  Germany ;  she 
was  then  remarkably  handsome  and  youthful  in 
appearance,  but  she  has  since  wept  over  the  loss  of 
three  daughters,  and  sorrow  is  a  greater  ravager 
than  time." 


CHAPTER    II. 

FEW  days  after  this  conversa- 
tion, the  family  were  thrown  into 
great  excitement  by  the  arrival 
of  the  ship  in  which  their  aged 
relatives  had  embarked.  The 
children,  full  of  curiosity  and 
lively  interest,  could  scarcely 
give  any  attention  to  their  daily  les- 
sons, and,  at  length,  Mrs.  Waldorf, 
knowing  how  much  easier  it  is  to 
direct  such  restless  energies  than  to  re- 
press them  altogether,  gave  to  each  one 
some  trifling  occupation  connected  with 
their  present  anticipations.  To  Edith  she  dele- 
gated the  duty  of  placing  fresh  flowers  in  the 
apartments ;  Wilhelm  made  a  selection  of  choice 
books   for   the  room  which  was   hereafter   to   be 


grandfather's  study  ;  Frank  and  Phil  went  to  work 
gathering  the  dead  leaves  from  the  geraniums,  and 
dusting  the  foliage  of  the  camellias  ;  while  little 
Bertha  ran  about  helping  every -body  in  her  own 
way. 

It  was  late  in  the  day  when  Mr.  Waldorf's 
carriage  drove  up,  and  with  a  flushed  face  and 
joyful  heart,  he  handed  out  the  father  and  mother 
he  had  so  longed  to  see.  The  meeting  between 
them  and  Mrs.  Waldorf  was  a  silent  one,  for  all 
were  overpowered  by  their  feelings  ;  and  the  warm 
clasp  of  the  band,  and  the  tearful  kiss,  were  all  the 
expressions  of  affection  which  their  emotion  then 
allowed.  Mrs.  Waldorf  hastened  to  lead  the  old 
lady  into  her  neat  sleeping-chamber,  where  she 
found  all  the  comforts  which  her  long  sojourn  on 
shipboard  had  now  rendered  doubly  agreeable. 
But  grandfather  was  not  content  to  seek  his  repose 
until  he  had  made  acquaintance  with  the  chil- 
dren. 

"  So  this  is  Edith,"  exclaimed  the  old  man,  as 
he  drew  her  towards  him ;  "  why,  you  have  been 

23 


growing  up  a  tall  and  stately  girl,  while  I  have 
been  thinking  of  you  as  the  little  quiet  child .  your 
mother  used  to  describe  you.  And  there  is  Wil- 
helm,  to  whom  it  seems  but  yesterday  that  I  sent 
the  puppet-show,  which,  I  suppose,  he  would  now 
scorn  to  look  at." 

"  Yes,  but  it's  mine  now,"  cried  Phil,  creeping 
between  grandfather's  knees  ;  "  it's  mine  now,  only 
little  Bertha  has  broken  Punch's  sword,  and  cracked 
Judy's  nose." 

■  "  Naughty  brother  Phil,  to  tell  tales  of  little 
Bertha,"  lisped  the  pet,  as  she  put  up  her  rosy  lips 
for  the  kiss  which  she  had  learned  to  expect  from 
every  one. 

"  Where's  Frank  ?" 

Frank  was  dragged  out  from  his  hiding-place, 
behind  grandfather's  chair,  where  he  sat  with  hi" 
hands  over  his  ears,  to  avoid  hearing  the  broken 
English,  at  which  he  was  afraid  he  should  laugh 
as  soon  as  the  old  gentleman  opened  his  mouth. 
Don't  be  afraid,  master  Frank ;  grandfather  has 
been  familiar  with  the  English  tongue  for  many 


years,  and,  bating  a  slight  German  accent,  can 
talk  as  well,  and  almost  as  fast,  as  yourself. 

A  happy  family  were  the  Waldorfs  when  they 
gathered  round  the  tea-table  that  night.  Every 
past  grief  was  for  the  time  forgotten,  and  the  joy 
of  that  long-anticipated  meeting  was  not  marred 
by  a  single  regret.  A  happy  family  were  they 
always,  for  they  were  a  family  of  love,  and  the 
harsh  tones  of  discord  were  never  heard  among 
them. 

It  required  but  a  very  few  days  to  make  the 
children  exceedingly  attached  to  their  newly-found 
friends.  The  old  lady  retained  in  a  remarkable 
degree  the  beauty  for  which  she  had  been  noted  in 
early  life.  Her  face  was  without  a  wrinkle,  and 
the  delicate  bloom  on  her  cheek  was  as  fresh  as 
that  of  a  young  girl.  Her  soft  brown  eyes  were 
full  of  gentleness,  and  the  placid  expression  of  her 
mouth,  which  seemed  ever  ready  to  open  with  a 
smile  or  a  kindly  word,  made  her  one  of  the  love- 
liest of  old  ladies.  She  was  very  small  of  stature, 
— "  almost  like  a  fairy,"  Frank  said, — with  small 

25 


white  hands,  which  were  always  covered  with 
black  silk  mitts  reaching  half  way  to  the  elbow, 
and  the  dearest  little  feet,  cased  in  slippers  whose 
sharp-pointed  toes  Frank  vowed  would  put  out  the 
eye  of  the  first  mosquito  that  should  venture  to 
light  upon  them.  She  wore  the  simple  garb  of 
the  Moravians,  and  her  plain  bordered  cap,  which 
seemed  like  a  framework  to  her  delicate  features, 
just  allowed  one  to  see  the  smooth  folds  of  that  yet 
unsilvered  hair,  which  had  been  to  others  such  a 
source  of  good. 

Grandfather  Waldorf  was  very  unlike  his  wife 
in  personal  appearance.  His  height  exceeded  six 
feet,  and  his  chest  and  shoulders  were  proportion- 
ately broad,  so  that  at  first  sight  he  seemed  smaller 
than  he  really  was  ;  but  when  he  stood  near  a 
person  of  middle  size,  or  especially  if  he  was  beside 
his  little  wife,  he  looked  almost  gigantic.  His  hair 
was  as  white  as  the  silk  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
thistle,  and  hung  in  curls  upon  his  neck.  His  eyes 
were  dark  and  piercing,  overhung  by  shaggy  brows 
which  retained  their  chestnut  hue,  and  contrasted 


20 


singularly  with  his  white  locks,  while  his  features 
had  not  yet  lost  the  majestic  outline  that  had  once 
made  him  a  painter's  model  of  a  youthful  hero. 
He  had  been  a  traveller  in  many  lands,  and  a  stu- 
dent of  many  sciences.  The  acquisition  of  knowl- 
edge had  been  his  passion,  but  the  tendency  of  his 
mind  was  decidedly  imaginative,  and  hence  all 
things  were  moulded  by  him  into  a  poetic  form. 
The  society  of  his  son's  children  seemed  to  call 
forth  all  his  early  freshness  of  feeling.  He  loved 
to  forget  his  gray  hairs,  and  be  once  more  a  child 
with  them. 

One  of  the  most  charming  traits  in  the  German 
character  is  their  love  of  children,  and  the  pains 
they  bestow  upon  their  happiness.  Instead  of 
looking  upon  them  as  cares,  or  at  best  as  unformed 
creatures,  who  must  be  disciplined  into  wisdom  and 
usefulness,  they  regard  them  as  miniature  men  and 
women,  with  the  same  kind  of  tastes,  and  desires, 
and  passions  as  actuate  grown  people.  To  gratify 
those  tastes,  to  direct  those  desires,  to  guide  and 
modify  those  passions,  is  the  aim  of  the  parent. 


Instead  of  growing  old  in  anxiety,  and  anticipating 
years  of  care,  they  endeavor  to  renew  their  youth- 
fulness,  for  the  sake  of  the  young  creatures  by 
whom  they  are  surrounded.  It  is  a  rare  thing,  in 
America,  to  find  a  family  where  the  parents  are 
the  chosen  companions  of  their  children,  and  where 
the  children  in  early  life  have  learned  to  sympathize 
fully  with  the  parents ;  but  nothing  is  more  com- 
mon in  Germany,  and  among  the  German-born 
citizens  of  our  country. 

The  Waldorf  family  had  been  accustomed  to 
this  pleasant  intercourse  of  domestic  life,  where 
each  child  was  the  friend  of  the  parents,  and  the 
degree  of  confidence  reposed  in  them  was  regulated 
only  by  their  advancing  years  and  increasing  dis- 
cretion. They  were  not  surprised,  therefore,  to  find 
their  grandfather  so  full  of  genial  feeling,  at  his 
time  of  life ;  but  that  which  did  excite  their  aston- 
ishment was  his  wonderful  memory,  and  the  vast 
number  of  legends  and  traditions  which  he  seemed 
to  retain  in  what  he  called  "  the  lumber-room  "  of 
his  brain.     They  had  already  learned  many  of  the 


fairy  tales  of  Germany  from  the  lips  of  their 
father;  but  he  knew  nothing  compared  to  their 
grandfather,  whose  inexhaustible  treasure-house  of 
stories  seemed  always  to  contain  something  new. 
Frequently  at  sunset  he  would  seat  himself  in  the 
porch,  with  Edith  on  one  side  and  Wilhelm  on  the 
other,  while  Frank  sat  on  the  floor  at  his  feet,  Phil 
crept  to  his  post  between  his  knees,  and  Bertha 
nestled  on  his  lap.  Then,  when  the  fragrant  breath 
of  the  summer  air  had  tempted  grandmother  to 
bring  her  knitting  into  the  hall,  and  when  the  spirit 
of  social  enjoyment  had  won  Mr.  and  Mrs.  "Waldorf 
to  join  the  happy  throng,  grandfather  loved  to  sum- 
mon up  his  recollections  of  the  wild  dreams  which 
had  been  the  delight  of  his  boyhood. 

It  happened  one  day  that  the  conversation  turned 
upon  the  peculiarities  of  various  parts  of  the  world, 
and  the  changes  which  the  facilities  of  travel  had 
made  in  the  habits  of  all  countries. 

"  I  know  of  but  one  country,"  said  grandfather 
Waldorf,  "  which  yet  retains  its  primitive  customs 
and  manners,  and  that  is  Lower  Brittany.     You 


all  know  its  position,  opposite  the  southern  coast 
of  England,  on  the  north-western  extremity  of 
France,  and  bounded  on  the  south  and  west  by  the 
restless  waves  of  the  Atlantic  ocean,  while  the 
provinces  of  Normandy  and  Anjou  adjoin  it  on  the 
east.  It  is  an  exceedingly  wild  country,  traversed 
by  a  double  chain  of  mountains,  from  whose  sides 
descend  innumerable  small  streams,  too  insignifi- 
cant to  receive  a  distinctive  name,  which  wind 
through  the  country,  and  finally  find  their  way 
into  the  sea.  A  country  bordered  by  the  sea,  and 
intersected  by  mountains,  must  have  very  romantic 
scenery ;  and  I  think  I  never  beheld  so  great  a 
variety  of  landscape  within  so  limited  a  space. 
Verdant  hills,  and  barren  mountains  ;  fields  covered 
with  grain,  and  large  plains  where  nothing  but 
grass  will  grow ;  desert  spots,  so  rugged  and  wild 
that  the  bear,  the  wolf,  and  the  vulture  are  the  only 
inhabitants ;  Druidical  remains ;  ruins  of  feudal 
eastles,  and  the  crumbling  walls  of  old  churches 
and  monasteries ;  rudely  built  crosses  of  stone, 
called  in  the  language  of  the  country  '  Calvaries,' 


surmounting  so  many  eminences,  that  they  seem 
like  the  spires  of  churches  in  some  populous  city  ; 
— such  are  the  varied  objects  which  meet  the 
traveller's  eye,  in  wandering  through  that  strange 
land.  But  they  who  confine  their  travels  merely 
to  the  few  high  roads  which  cross  the  country,  see 
few  of  these  peculiarities.  It  is  in  the  more  remote 
districts,  the  cantons  of  Leon,  Cornouaille,  Tre- 
guir,  and  Vannes,  where  one  is  obliged  to  cross 
mountain  torrents  on  stepping-stones  for  want  of 
bridges,  and  to  traverse  causeways  made  over 
broad  morasses  ;  where  the  by-roads  are  little  more 
than  the  dry  channels  of  exhausted  rivulets,  that 
Brittany  exhibits  its  wildest  and  noblest  features." 

"  Are  the  people  as  peculiar  as  their  country  ?" 
asked  Mrs.  Waldorf. 

"  Quite  as  much  so  ;  their  manners  are  exceed- 
ingly simple  and  primitive.  They  are  a  grave, 
earnest,  religious  people,  who  wear  the  wooden 
shoes,  the  loose  doublet,  and  enormous  trunk-hose 
that  were  worn  by  then  great-grandfathers,  and 
remind  one  constantly  of  the  Dutch  boors  in  Te- 


31 


niers'  pictures.  Of  course  their  legends  and  tradi- 
tions partake  of  the  character  of  the  country  and 
the  people.  In  a  land  of  perpetual  sunshine,  diver- 
sified only  by  smiling  plains  and  luxuriant  vine- 
yards, the  traditional  tales  will  probably  assume 
a  joyous  character ;  but  in  a  country  which  is 
washed  by  the  tossing  waves  of  ocean,  overhung 
by  sea-fogs  or  mountain  mists,  and  bordered  by 
dreary  stretches  of  sand,  the  imagination  of  the 
people  will  take  a  darker  coloring.  The  fairy 
legends  of  the  Bretons  are  fantastic,  grotesque, 
and  often  gloomy,  but  they  are  very  striking.  I 
spent  a  year  in  Brittany,  and  one  of  my  most 
intimate  friends  was  a  native  of  Leon ;  I  was 
therefore  enabled  to  gratify  my  taste  for  fairy  lore 
in  an  entirely  new  field ;  and  I  found,  that  while 
there  were  many  points  of  resemblance  between 
their  traditions  and  those  of  other  European  coun- 
tries, yet  there  were  also  curious  points  of  dif- 
ference." 

"  Oh,  tell  us  a  Breton  fairy  tale,  grandfather," 
exclaimed  the  children. 


32 


"  The  legends  of  fairy-land  are  so  strangely 
blended  with  the  remnants  of  Druidical  supersti- 
tion, and  so  leavened  with  the  strong  and  reverent 
spirit  of  religion  which  prevails  among  the  Bretons, 
that  it  will  be  difficult  for  me  to  separate  the  pure 
fairy  tale  from  its  accessories.  But  I  will  make 
the  attempt." 

The  good  old  man  pushed  up  his  spectacles  till 
they  rested  on  his  broad  forehead,  and,  after  a 
moment's  pause  to  collect  his  ideas,  began  the 
promised  story. 


33 


t@^w 


THE    GOLDEN   HERB, 


ANY  years  ago,  when  the  oaks 
which  built  the  oldest  ships  in 
the  world  were  yet  only  little 
acorns,  there  lived,  in  a  certain 
province  in  Brittany,  a  poor 
widow,  named  Nina.  She  be- 
longed to  a  noble  family,  and  was 
heiress  to  a  handsome  fortune,  for  her 
father,  at  his  death,  left  a  fine  man- 
sion-house, a  large  farm,  a  mill,  and 
y®  a  lime-kiln,  together  with  twelve  horses, 
0>  and  twice  as  many  oxen,  twelve  cows, 
and  ten  times  as  many  sheep ;  while  the  quantity 
of  flax  and  grain  in  his   barns,  was   beyond  all 


calculation.  But  the  brothers  of  Nina,  seeing  her  a 
lone  widow,  refused  to  give  her  a  share  of  the  estate. 
Perrik,  the  eldest  brother,  claimed  the  mansion- 
house,  the  -farm,  and  the  horses  ;  Fanchon,  the 
second,  took  the  mill  and  the  cows ;  while  Riwal, 
the  youngest,  received  the  lime-kiln,  the  oxen,  and 
the  sheep  :  so  that  nothing  remained  for  Nina  but 
an  old  hovel,  without  any  door,  which  had  been 
built  out  on  a  waste  field,  for  the  shelter  of  sick 
cattle. 

As  she  was  sorrowfully  going  away  to  her  mis- 
erable abode,  Fanchon  took  compassion  upon  her, 
and  said: 

"  I  wish  to  act  towards  you  like  a  brother  and 
a  Christian  ;  I  have  an  old  black  cow,  which  has 
never  been  good  for  any  thing,  and  does  not  give 
milk  enough  to  feed  a  new-born  baby  ;  I  will  there- 
fore make  her  a  present  to  you  ;  you  can  pasture 
her  in  the  waste  field,  and  little  Snowdrop  can 
take  care  of  her." 

This  was  the  name  of  the  widow's  child,  a  little 
pale  girl  of  twelve  years  old,  who,  from  her  white 

35 


skin  and  flaxen  hair,  had  received  the  name  of 
Snowdrop. 

The  poor  widow  thanked  her  brother,  and  tying 
a  string  to  the  horns  of  poor  old  Black,  led  her 
away.  The  next  morning  she  sent  Snowdrop  out 
into  the  waste  field  with  the  cow.  The  little  girl 
sat  all  day  on  a  stone,  watching  the  cow,  for  fear 
the  wolves  might  come.  She  had  no  other  amuse- 
ment than  that  of  seeing  poor  Black  cropping  her 
scanty  allowance  of  grass  from  between  the  stones, 
until  she  bethought  herself  of  making  garlands 
and  crosses  out  of  the  rushes  that  grew  around,  and 
twisting  them  with  heath-blossoms,  or  hawthorn, 
while  she  repeated  all  the  prayers  and  hymns  she 
could  remember. — This,  by  the  way,  is  a  favorite 
amusement  with  the  children  of  Brittany,  while 
watching  the  flocks.  Sometimes  the  wayside  will 
be  bordered,  for  a  long  distance,  with  these  little 
flowery  crosses  planted  in  the  earth  by  the  young 
shepherds. 

One  day,  while  Snowdrop  was  singing  a  hymn 
she  had  heard  in  church,  a  bird   settled  himself 

36 


r^..h--^acu^ 


on  one  of  the  branches  she  had  just  put  in  the 
ground,  and  began  to  sing  at  the  very  top  of  his 
voice,  at  the  same  time  wagging  his  tail,  shaking 
his  wings,  and  peering  up  into  her  face  with  a 
mighty  significant  expression  in  his  bright,  black 
eyes.  The  little  girl  was  very  much  surprised, 
and  finding  him  so  tame,  she  bent  down  her  head 
to  listen  to  what  he  seemed  saying.  But  she 
could  not  understand  a  word.  He  sang  louder  and 
louder,  flew  round  and  round  as  if  he  was  in  a  per- 
fect fury  of  impatience,  and  was  evidently  talking 
in  the  most  eloquent  manner  ;  but,  unfortunately, 
Snowdrop  could  not  comprehend  a  single  syllable. 
She  was  so  much  amused,  however,  by  his  song 
and  his  droll  antics,  that  she  did  not  notice  the 
lapse  of  time.  At  last,  the  bird  took  to  his  wings, 
and  as  she  raised  her  head  to  look  after  him,  she 
was  astonished  to  see  the  stars  in  the  sky.  All  at 
once  she  remembered  old  Black,  and  ran  to  seek 
her,  to  drive  her  home.  But  the  old  cow  was  no 
longer  to  be  seen.  She  called  her  as  loud  as  pos- 
sible ;  she  beat  the  bushes  with  her  stick,  she  went 


down  into  all  the  hollows,  hut  no  cow  was  there. 
Just  as  she  was  ready  to  cry  with  fear,  she  heard 
her  mother's  voice,  calling  to  her  in  a  tone  of  great 
distress.  She  followed  the  direction  of  the  sound, 
and  at  the  edge  of  the  field,  in  the  little  foot- 
path which  led  to  the  cottage,  she  saw  the  widow 
standing  beside  the  remains  of  old  Black,  whom 
the  wolves  had  so  completely  devoured  that  nothing 
was  left  of  her  but  her  bones  and  horns. 

At  this  sight,  Snowdrop's  blood  ran  cold.  She 
threw  herself  on  her  knees  and  wept  bitterly,  for 
she  had  taken  care  of  the  poor  cow  so  long  that 
she  had  become  quite  attached  to  her.  Nina,  see- 
ing her  daughter's  extravagant  grief,  endeavored  to 
console  her,  and  said  : 

"  You  should  not  weep  for  old  Black  as  if  she 
was  a  human  being  like  ourselves.  If  the  wolves 
of  the  forest  are  in  league  with  your  wicked  uncles 
against  us,  there  is  yet  a  good  Providence  to  help 
the  widow  and  the  fatherless.  Let  us  collect  a 
bundle  of  faggots  and  go  home  ;  if  we  have  no  milk 
to-night,  we  can  drink  water  with  our  black  bread." 

38 


Snowdrop  obeyed  her  mother,  but  at  every  step 
she  could  not  help  crying,  and  saying  to  herself, 
"  Poor  old  Black  !  she  was  so  good-natured,  and  so 
easy  to  lead ;  she  eat  so  much,  and  she  began  to 
grow  so  fat : — Poor  old  Black  !" 

She  had  no  heart  to  eat  any  supper,  and  she 
awoke  twenty  times  in  the  night,  thinking  she 
heard  the  cow  lowing  at  the  door.  The  next 
morning,  before  daybreak,  she  jumped  out  of  bed, 
amd  without  waiting  to  put  on  her  petticoat  or  her 
shoes,  she  ran  out  to  the  field  where  she  had  seen 
the  bird.  As  she  reached  the  edge  of  the  heath, 
she  saw  the  little  bird  perched  on  the  same  flower- 
ing branch,  and  singing  louder  than  ever.  He  was 
evidently  calling  her,  for  he  fidgeted  about  when 
he  saw  her,  and  seemed  trying  very  hard  to  say 
something.  But  Snowdrop  was  no  wiser  than  she 
had  been  the  night  before.  She  could  not  under- 
stand a  word,  and  she  was  turning  away,  quite 
disheartened,  when  she  saw  something  glittering 
among  the  grass.  She  fancied  it  was  a  piece  of  gold, 
and  putting  out  her  foot,  she  tried  to  turn  it  over. 


e£?fcE£= 


Now  you  must  know  that  there  is  a  plant  of 
wonderful  virtue,  known  by  the  name  of  the 
"  Golden  Herb."  It  is  generally  invisible  ;  but  if 
a  person  who  has  committed  no  sin,  will  go  to  the 
fields  at  daybreak,  clad  in  a  single  garment  and 
barefooted,  they  may  discover  it,  and  should  it  be 
accidentally  trodden  on,  it  will  instantly  convey  to 
the  fortunate  discoverer  the  power  of  understand- 
ing the  language  of  animals.  It  was  this  Golden 
Herb  which  Snowdrop  had  seen  shining  in  the 
grass  ;  and  the  instant  her  naked  foot  touched  it, 
she  understood  every  word  the  little  bird  was  say- 
Lig  to  her.     The  first  thing  she  heard  was  : 

"  Snowdrop,  sweet  Snowdrop,  I'm  waiting  for  thee  ; 
Snowdrop,  sweet  Snowdrop,  come,  listen  to  me." 


"  Who  are  you  ?"  asked  the  little  girl. 

"  I'm  little  John  Redthroat,  who  pulled  out  a  thorn 
From  the  foot  of  the  pilgrim  so  old  and  forlorn  : 
The  holy  man  Messed  me,  and  gave  me  the  power 
Every  year  to  bestow  on  some  maiden  her  dower. 
Now  Snowdrop,  sweet  Snowdrop,  come,  listen  to  me, 
For  this  year,  sweet  Snowdrop,  my  choice  falls  on  thee." 


!,_ 


"  Are  you,  indeed,  that  dear  good  John  Red- 
throat,  who  pulled  the  thorn  out  of  the  old  pil- 
grim's foot,  and  who  covered  the  poor  little  dead 
babes  with  leaves  in  the  woods  ?  Will  you  really 
make  me  rich  ?  and  may  I  have  a  silver  chain  on 
my  neck,  and  wear  shoes  every  day  ?"  asked 
Snowdrop. 

"  Your  chain  shall  be  gold,  set  with  pearls  white  as  milk, 
And  your  shoes  shall  be  always  of  velvet  or  silk," 

sung  the  polite  little  bird. 

"  What  must  I  do  to  deserve  all  this,  sweet- 
heart ?"  said  the  child. 

"  Snowdrop,  sweet  Snowdrop,  now,  follow  my  track ; 
Before  the  sun  rises  we  both  must  come  back." 

Snowdrop  said  she  would  like  nothing  better 
than  to  follow  the  dear  bird  forever ;  but  she 
wanted  to  go  home  first  to  put  on  some  clothes, 
as  she  could  nrt  help  thinking  one  garment  was 
scarcely  enough  for  a  long  journey.  But  the  bird 
would  not  wait  a  moment,  and  set  off  on  so  rapid 


terribly  frightened,  for  she  had  not  expected  to  be 
swung  about  at  the  end  of  the  cow's  tail,  with  the 
whole  country  lying  a  thousand  feet  below  her. 
But  she  twisted  her  hands  tightly  in  the  tuft 
of  silky  hair,  and  before  she  had  time  to  grow 
dizzy,  she  found  herself  seated  on  the  door-step 
of  her  mother's  cottage,  with  her  milk -pail  beside 
her. 

The  sun  was  rising  when  she  arrived  home, 
and  her  mother,  who  had  that  moment  missed  her, 
was  just  coming  out  of  the  door  to  look  for  her. 
Of  course,  the  poor  widow  was  very  happy  to  find 
herself  in  possession  of  so  fine  a  cow ;  but  her  joy 
was  increased  tenfold  when  Snowdrop  began  to 
milk  the  beautiful  animal,  for  the  milk  flowed 
through  her  fingers  like  water  from  a  spring. 
Nina  filled  all  the  earthen  bowls,  and  pitchers,  and 
pans  she  could  find  ;  then  she  mustered  all  the 
wooden  pails  and  churns  in  the  neighborhood,  but 
still  the  milk  continued  to  flow,  until  they  began 
to  be  afraid  that  the  cow  would  occasion  an  inun- 
dation of  all  the  low  grounds  in  Brittany.     I  really 


believe  the  cow  could  have  furnished  milk  enough 
for  all  the  babes  and  pigs  in  the  world. 

The  whole  district  was  soon  in  commotion  about 
the  widow's  cow.  People  came  from  far  and  near 
to  see  it.  The  clergyman  of  the  place  came  to 
ascertain  whether  it  was  not  an  evil  spirit ;  but 
when  he  saw  the  white  star  on  its  forehead,  he 
was  quite  satisfied.  The  richest  farmers  offered 
to  purchase  it,  and  each  tried  to  outbid  the  other 
in  price.  But  Nina  had  no  idea  of  parting  with 
so  valuable  an  animal,  unless  she  received  some 
very  tempting  offer.  At  last,  her  brother  Perrik 
came  to  learn  the  truth  respecting  the  good  luck 
that  had  befallen  his  sister.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
with  his  own  eyes  the  wonderful  powers  of  the 
magic  cow,  he  said  : 

"  If  you  have  any  Christian  feeling,  you  will 
give  your  brother  the  preference  over  all  other 
purchasers.  Let  me  have  your  Sea-Cow,  and  I 
will  give  you  in  exchange  as  many  common  cows 
as  it  takes  tailors  to  make  a  man." 

"  The  Sea-Cow  is  worth  more  than  nine  common 

45 


cows,"  answered  Nina.  "  She  is  of  more  value 
than  all  the  cows  in  the  parish." 

"  "Well,  sister,  since  you  set  so  high  a  price 
upon  her,  I  will  offer  you  the  mansion-house  where 
you  were  born,  with  the  farm  and  all  the  horses." 

Nina  did  not  hesitate  long  in  accepting  this  offer. 
So  Perrik  conducted  her  to  the  farm,  and,  after 
she  had  taken  a  bit  of  earth  from  the  field,  drank 
a  mouthful  of  water  from  the  well,  made  a  fire  in 
the  chimney  corner,  and  cut  a  tuft  of  hair  from 
the  tails  of  all  the  horses,  to  prove  that  she  had 
become  mistress  of  all  these  things,  she  gave  the 
cow  to  Perrik,  who  led  her  away. 

Poor  little  Snowdrop  was  very  sorry  to  lose  her 
new  favorite.  She  thought  of  her  soft  skin  and 
tender  eyes,  until  she  almost  cried  to  think  she 
should  never  see  the  poor  cow  again.  At  evening, 
she  went  into  the  barn  to  replenish  the  mangers 
for  the  cattle  ;  and  as  she  was  busied,  she  fancied 
she  heard  the  cow's  voice.  She  listened,  and  as 
the  Golden  Herb  had  given  her  knowledge  of  the 
language  of  animals,  she  heard  the  words — 

46 


"  I  am  here,  little  mistress  ;  open  the  door,  and 
let  me  in." 

Snowdrop  ran  to  the  barn-door,  and  as  she  threw 
it  open,  in  walked  the  beautiful  Sea-Cow. 

"  How  came  you  here,  my  darling?"  said  she. 

"  I  could  not  remain  with  your  uncle  Perrik," 
lowed  the  cow,  in  a  solemn  voice.  "  My  nature  is 
so  pure  that  I  cannot  live  under  the  same  roof 
with  wicked  people,  and  I  have  therefore  come 
back  to  you." 

"  Then  my  mother  must  give  back  the  mansion- 
house,  and  the  farm,  and  the  horses,"  said  Snow- 
drop, sadly. 

"  That  does  not  follow,"  grumbled  the  Sea-Cow. 
"  They  were  taken  from  her  unjustly,  and  she 
must  now  keep  them." 

"  But  uncle  Perrik  will  come  here  and  find 
you." 

"  Go  and  pluck  three  leaves  of  vervain." 

Snowdrop  was  not  gone  a  minute ;  and  when 
she  came  back,  the  cow  said  : 

"  Hold  the  leaves  by  their  stems  and  pass  them 


three  times  over  my  back,  from  the  point  of  my 
horns  to  the  tuft  on  my  tail,  saying  all  the  time, 


Cow  of  the  Sea 
Begone  from  me ; 
Thy  task  is  done, 
And  thy  race  is  run." 


Snowdrop  did  all  she  was  told ;  and  as  she 
reached  the  tuft  on  the  cow's  tail  for  the  third 
time,  the  animal  was  suddenly  changed  into  a 
superb  horse. 

"  Now,"  neighed  the  creature,  tossing  its  head 
and  pricking  up  its  ears,  "  your  uncle  Perrik  will 
have  some  trouble  to  claim  me.  I  am  now  the 
Sea-Horse." 

The  widow  was  of  course  very  much  surprised 
and  delighted.  The  first  thing  she  did,  the  next 
morning,  was  to  try  the  strength  of  her  new  horse, 
by  loading  him  with  sacks  of  grain  for  the  market. 
But  never  had  such  a  wonderful  creature  been 
seen  in  Brittany.  The  more  sacks  of  corn  they 
heaped  upon  him,  the  longer  his  back  grew  ;  until 

43 


it  seemed  as  if  he  might  carry  all  the  bags  in  the 
country.  Indeed,  had  they  continued  to  load  him, 
he  would  have  continued  to  stretch,  until  his  nose 
would  have  been  poking  into  the  market-town 
before  his  tail  had  whisked  out  of  the  farm-yard. 
Of  course,  here  was  another  wonder.  People 
flocked  to  see  it  from  all  quarters  ;  and  Fanchon, 
determined  to  outbid  all  others,  offered  his  sister 
the  mill,  with  all  the  cows  and  fatted  pigs,  in 
exchange  for  the  horse.  The  bargain  was  made, 
and  Nina  took  possession  of  her  new  estate  in  the 
same  manner  as  she  had  done  of  the  farm.  But 
in  the  evening  Snowdrop  found  the  horse  at  the 
barn-door  again.  So  she  took'  the  three  leaves  of 
vervain,  and  rubbing  them  slowly  down  the  horse's 
back,  from  the  tips  of  his  ears  to  the  end  of  bis 
tail,  she  said : 


"  Horse  of  the  Sea 
Begone  from  me ; 
Thy  task  is  done, 
And  thy  race  is  run." 


In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  horse  was  gone  ; 
and  in  his  place  was  an  enormous  sheep,  with  a 
fleece  as  long  as  hemp,  as  red  as  scarlet,  and  as 
fine  as  combed  flax.     He  was  now  the  Sea-Ram. 

They  were  all  rejoiced  at  this  new  miracle,  and 
Nina  said,  "  G-o,  my  daughter,  and  bring  hither 
the  shears.  The  poor  animal  can  scarcely  carry 
his  heavy  fleece." 

But  the  more  they  sheared  the  Sea-Ram,  the 
faster  his  fleece  grew,  until  the  locks  of  wool  lay 
like  a  mountain  in  the  farm-yard,  and  there  was 
no  barn  large  enough  to  hold  it.  Riwal,  Nina's 
youngest  brother,  happened  to  be  passing  by,  and 
beheld  the  whole  affair.  He  instantly  offered  his 
kiln,  his  oxen,  and  his  sheep  in  exchange  for  the 
Sea-Ram.  Nina  consented ;  and  he  went  off, 
delighted  with  his  good  fortune.  But  as  he  was 
driving  his  new  purchase  home,  he  had  occasion 
to  pass  near  the  sea-shore,  opposite  the  "  Seven 
Islands."  As  soon  as  he  came  in  sight  of  them, 
the  Sea-Ram  sprang  away,  jumped  into  the  sea, 
and  swam  off  to  the  islands.     While  Riwal  was 

50 


rj^^r^^V.-~F-r>rr 


5fe3£ 


looking  on,  amazed  at  this  sudden  escape,  the 
rocks  opened  to  let  the  Sea-Ram  enter,  and  then 
closing  behind,  effectually  prevented  any  search 
for  him. 

Snowdrop  expected  he  would  return ;  but  she 
looked  for  him  in  vain.  She  became  quite  mel- 
ancholy at  his  loss  ;  and,  at  length,  she  bethought 
her  of  going  to  the  common,  to  consult  John  Red- 
throat.  He  had  evidently  expected  her,  for  he  was 
sitting  on  his  old  perch,  and  singing  : 


"  Snowdrop,  sweet  Snowdrop,  I'm  waiting  for  thee  ; 
Thou  hast  seen  for  the  last  time  the  Cow  of  the  Sea. 
Thy  wicked  old  uncles  will  die  in  a  ditch ; 
Thy  mother  is  happy,  and  Snowdrop  is  rich ; 
Her  shoes  are  of  velvet,  her  chain  pearl  and  gold  ; 
John  Redthroat  has  done  all  he  promised  of  old." 

With  these  words,  the  bird  flew  off,  and  Snow- 
drop never  saw  him  again.  She  built  a  little 
chapel  on  the  spot  where  she  had  first  met  him ; 
and  though  she  was  now  a  rich  heiress,  and  rode 
to  church  on  a  velvet  saddle  embroidered  in  silver, 

51 


^s-J!^5g-^Tgg^j-^=jJ>>gai^eCTCE?= 


f 


with  silken  shoes  on  her  feet,  and  a  gold  chain 
about  her  neck,  she  never  forgot  that  she  had 
once  been  poor,  nor  did  she  lose  any  of  her  virtues 
in  the  days  of  prosperity. 


■S^.J  ^C^-y  "W^gS^ 


sgsr^as&J'.i..^  -  gggggw^g 


CHAPTER    III. 

ILL  you  tell  us  another  fairy 
tale,  dear  grandfather  ?  Please 
tell  us  another  Breton  story," 
exclaimed  several  voices,  when, 
on  the  following  evening,  the 
Waldorf  family  Were  again  seat- 
ed in  the  porch,  enjoying  the  cool 
sea-breeze,  and  looking  out  upon  the 
beautiful  sunset. 

"  I  thought  you   would   be   quite 
disappointed  with  so  homely  a  fairy  tale," 
replied     the     old     gentleman,     smiling. 
'"  There  were  no  crystal  palaces,  no  golden 
chariots,   no   beautiful   fairy   queens   in   robes   of 
green  satin,  with  crowns  of  pearly  dew-drops  on 
their  flowing  tresses.     The  Breton  fairies  are  all 

53 


'  I 


little  workies ;  they  plough,  and  reap,  and  spin, 
and  knit,  like  the  people  among  whom  they 
dwell." 

"  Oh,  but  it  seems  so  very  droll  to  hear  of  fairy 
cows  that  might  cause  a  new  deluge,  fairy  horses 
with  backs  ten  miles  long,  and  fairy  sheep  with  a 
mountain  of  wool  on  their  sides,"  exclaimed  Frank. 
"  For  my  part,"  continued  he,  jjf  I  am  tired  of 
hearing  about  little  dainty  creatures  floating  about 
on  sunbeams  ;  I  like  the  substantial  fairies  of  Brit- 
tany. Please  tell  us  another  story,  grandfather, 
and  let  it  be  something  about  boys'  and  men's 
work  this  time;  your  first  story  was  all  girl- 
talk." 

Every  one  laughed  at  Frank's  sally  in  behalf 
of  his  own  boy -tastes,  and  grandfather  was  half 
tempted  to  begin  a  discussion  with  him,  for  the 
sake  of  hearing  his  good  and  sufficient  reasons  for 
thinking  "men's  work"  so  much  more  interesting 
than  women's  trials.  But  the  children,  like  most 
young  people,  were  more  anxious  for  the  story 
than  for  the  philosophy.     So  the  land  old  man, 

54 


fl!  IB  IB  IB    MM 


;NCE  upon  a  time,  there  lived,  in 
the  province  of  Leon,  in  Lower 
Brittany,  a  widow,  who  had  two 
sons,   each  as  beautiful  as  the 
sunshine,   and  as  rich  as   they 
could   desire.      Though   Mylio, 
the  eldest,  was  but  sixteen  years 
old,  and  his  brother,  Tonyk,  was  two 
years  younger,  they  had  studied  so 
hard,    that   there  was  scarcely  any 
thing  more  for  them  to  learn  at  home  ; 
and   their  mother  therefore   resolved  to 
send  them  to  their  uncle,  who  lived  in  a 
distant  province,  in  order  that  they  might  see  the 
world,  as  well  as  secure  a  portion  of  their  uncle's 
inheritance  before  he  died.     Accordingly,  one  day 
she  furnished  each  of  them  with  a  new  hat,  a  pair 

56 


of  shoes  with  silver  buckles,  a  purple  cloth  cloak,  a 
purse  full  of  money,  and  a  horse ;  and  then  giving 
them  her  blessing,  sent  them  off  to  seek  their 
uncle. 

The  brothers  were  so  wonderfully  alike  in  per- 
son, that  it  was  difficult  to  distinguish  one  from 
the  other  by  sight ;  but  they  differed  greatly  from 
each  other  in  character.  Tonyk  was  pious  and 
charitable ;  always  ready  to  help  the  poor,  and  as 
forgiving  as  he  was  affectionate.  He  could  no 
more  keep  money  in  his  hand,  than  he  could  anger 
in  his  heart.  Mylio,  on  the  contrary,  never  gave 
anybody  more  than  their  just  due,  and,  indeed, 
seldom  did  that  without  grumbling  and  chaffering. 
If  any  one  offended  him,  he  was  sure  to  be  re- 
venged if  he  could,  and  he  was  as  selfish  as  he 
was  miserly  and  vindictive.  But  these  differences 
had  not  yet  shown  themselves  so  strongly  as  to  put 
the  brothers  at  variance  ;  and  they  "set  out  upon 
their  journey  in  fine  spirits,  delighted,  as  young 
folks  always  are,  at  the  thought  of  seeing  strange 
countries. 

57 


T  xe  horses  their  mother  had  given  them  were  so 
swift,  that  in  a  very  few  days  they  found  them- 
selves entering  upon  a  region  which  produced  trees 
quite  unknown  to  them,  and  grain  such  as  they 
had  never  before  seen.  As  they  turned  into  a  by- 
road, they  saw  an  old  woman  sitting  under  one  of 
those  rude  crosses  which  are  so  frequent  in  Brit- 
tany. She  sat  with  her  apron  over  her  face,  rock- 
ing herself  backwards  and  forwards,  and  sobbing 
as  if  her  heart  would  break.  Tonyk  stopped  his 
horse  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  her  distress,  and 
when  she  told  him  she  had  just  buried  her  only 
son,  who  had  been  the  support  of  her  old  age,  the 
tears  stood  in  Tonyk's  eyes.  But  Mylio,  who  was 
waiting  a  few  paces  off,  cried  out,  in  derision  : 

"  Don't  be  fool  enough  to  listen  to  the  first 
whiner  you  meet ;  the  old  woman  only  wants  to 
cry  purses  out  of  the  pockets  of  travellers." 

"  Hush,  brother,"  answered  Tonyk ;  "  your 
cruel  words  make  her  weep  more  bitterly.  Don't 
you  see  she  is  old  and  gray,  like  our  dear  mother  ?" 
Then  leaning  over  his  horse's  neck,  and  holding 

58 


out  his  purse,  he  continued  :  "  Take  this,  my  good 
woman ;  I  can  do  nothing  except  to  relieve  your 
wants.  God  only  can  console  you  in  your  afflic- 
tion." 

The  woman  took  the  purse,  with  a  thousand 
thanks,  and  as  she  pressed  her  withered  lips  to  the 
young  man's  hand,  she  said  : 

"  My  good  youth,  since  you  have  enriched  me 
now  for  life,  you  will  not  certainly  refuse  to  receive 
a  gift  from  me  in  return.  Within  this  walnut  is 
a  wasp  with  a  diamond  sting.  Take  it,  and  keep 
it  against  the  time  of  need." 

Tonyk  took  the  nut,  and  thanking  the  old  wo- 
man, as  a  gentleman  should,  went  on  his  way. 

The  travellers  soon  arrived  on  the  borders  of  a 
forest,  where  they  saw  a  half-naked  child,  digging 
into  the  hollow  trees,  and  moaning  a  melancholy 
song,  that  sounded  more  sad  than  a  funeral  hymn. 
Sometimes  he  would  pause  in  his  work,  and  rub 
his  poor  little  frozen  hands  together,  while  the  loud 
chattering  of  his  teeth  almost  prevented  them  from 
hearing  the  mournful  words  he  was  chantin 


"  The  cow  has  her  stall,  and  the  sheep  has  his  fold, 
But  for  me  there's  no  shelter.     I'm  cold,  oh  !  I'm  cold." 


Tonyk  was  ready  to  cry  at  the  sight  of  so  much 
suffering  at  so  tender  an  age,  and  he  said  to  his 
brother  : 

"  Oh,  Mylio,  is  it  not  terrible  to  see  how  that 
poor  child  is  suffering  from  this  driving  wind  !" 

"  He  must  be  very  tender,  then,"  answered 
Mylio :  "for  my  part,  I  don't  find  it  so  very 
cold." 

"  Because  you  are  protected  by  a  good  frieze 
jacket,  and  over  that  a  cloth  coat,  and  over  that 
again  your  purple  cloak  ;  but  the  boy  is  almost 
naked." 

"  Oh,  he  is  used  to  it :  he  is  only  a  poor  peasant." 

"  I  can't  bear  to  see  him  shiver,"  said  Tonyk. 
So,  calling  the  little  fellow  to  him,  he  asked  what 
he  was  doing  in  the  woods. 

"  I  am  seeking  for  the  beautiful  dragon-flies, 
which  sleep  in  the  hollow  trees,"  answered  the 
boy. 


**  -^,  I 


"  And  what  do  you  mean  to  do  with  them, 
when  you  get  them  ?"  asked  Tonyk. 

"  When  I  get  enough,  I  will  sell  them  in  the 
village,  and  buy  a  coat  to  keep  me  warm  when 
the  sun  does  not  shine." 

"  How  many  have  you  already  found  ?" 

"  Only  one ;"  said  the  child,  holding  up,  as  he 
spoke,  a  little  wicker-cage,  in  which  was  impris- 
oned a  beautiful  insect  with  wings  of  blue  and 
gold. 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  buy  that  one,"  said  Tonyk, 
throwing  his  fine  purple  cloak  round  the  trembling 
boy.  "  Wrap  your  frozen  limbs  in  this  warm 
cloth  ;  and  when  you  say  your  prayers  to-night, 
thank  Heaven  for  having  sent  us  to  your  aid." 

The  brothers  continued  their  journey ;  and 
though  Tonyk  at  first  felt  the  want  of  his  cloak, 
as  he  rode  in  the  face  of  a  biting  north-easter,  yet 
scarcely  had  they  emerged  from  the  forest,  when 
the  wind  fell,  the  mist  cleared  away,  and  the  sun 
began  to  break  through  the  heavy  clouds.  They 
soon  arrived  at  a  more  open  country  ;  and  as  they 


entered  a  green  valley,  through  which  murmured  a 
pleasant  stream,  they  saw,  by  the  water's  edge,  an 
old  man,  clad  in  miserable  tatters,  and  bearing  on 
his  shoulder  a  beggar's  wallet.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
the  travellers,  he  began  to  implore  their  assistance. 

"  What  can  we  do  for  you,  father  ?"  asked 
Tonyk,  taking  off  his  hat  as  he  spoke,  out  of  re- 
spect to  the  old  man's  years. 

"  Alas !  my  dear  little  gentleman,"  said  the 
beggar,  "  you  see  my  gray  hairs  and  wrinkled 
cheeks ;  I  am  so  old  that  my  legs  will  no  longer 
carry  me,  and  I  must  die  in  this  place,  unless  one 
of  you  will  sell  me  your  horse." 

"  Sell  our  horses  to  an  old  bone-picker,  like 
you  ?"  exclaimed  Mylio.  "  I  would  like  to  see 
what  you  can  offer  for  them." 

"  Do  you  see  this  hollow  acorn  ?"  answered  the 
old  man.  "  It  contains  a  spider,  which  spins  a 
web  stronger  than  steel.  Let  me  take  one  of 
your  horses,  and  I  will  give  you  in  exchange  the 
spider  and  the  acorn." 

Mylio  burst  into  a  loud  laugh.     "  Do  you  hear 

62 


that,  Tonyk  ?"  said  he  ;  "  did  you  ever  know  such 
a  fool  ?  I  will  wager  my  silver  buckles,  that  you 
might  find  a  pair  of  asses'  heels  in  that  old  fellow's 
wooden  shoes,  if  you  were  to  pull  them  off." 

"  The  poor  man  can  offer  no  more  than  he  has," 
replied  Tonyk,  softly.  Then  alighting  from  his 
horse,  and  advancing  towards  the .  old  beggar,  he 
said : 

"  I  will  give  you  my  horse,  my  good  man,  not 
for  the  price  you  offer,  but  for  charity's  sake. 
Look  upon  him  as  your  own,  and  thank  Heaven, 
who  has  sent  us  to  your  assistance." 

The  old  man  muttered  a  thousand  benedictions, 
and  mounting  the  horse  with  the  youth's  assist- 
ance, galloped  off  into  the  woods.  Mylio,  who 
had  been  more  and  more  incensed  at  each  of 
Tonyk's  gifts,  now  no  longer  attempted  to  contol 
his  indignation. 

"  Idiot  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  you*  have  reduced 
yourself  to  a  pretty  condition  by  your  folly.  I 
dare  say,  you  fancied  that  after  you  had  stripped 
yourself  of  every  tiling,  I  would  share  with  you 


63 


my  gold,  and  my  cloak,  and  my  horse ;  but  you 
will  find  yourself  mistaken.  I  hope  the  lesson 
will  do  you  good,  and  teach  you  more  economy  in 
future." 

"  I  am  willing  to  learn  from  all  good  lessons, 
brother,"  said  Tonyk,  mildly.  "  I  have  no  idea 
of  sharing  your  goods  ;  so  go  your  way,  and  be 
not  disturbed  about  me  :  I  will  follow  you." 

Mylio  made  no  reply ;  but  urging  his  horse 
into  a  trot,  was  soon  far  in  advance  of  Tonyk, 
who  followed  him  at  a  distance. 

Not  a  great  way  from  thence  was  a  narrow 
passage,  between  two  high  mountains  whose  heads 
were  hidden  in  the  clouds.  This  path  was  called 
the  Pass  of  Peril,  because  of  a  terrible  ogre,  who 
dwelt  on  the  top  of  the  highest  mountain,  and  lay 
in  wait  there  for  travellers,  just  as  a  sportsman 
would  watch  for  game.  He  was  a  monstrous 
giant,  without,  any  legs,  and  stone-blind ;  but  his 
ears  were  so  fine,  that  he  could  hear  the  worms 
creeping  in  the  earth.  He  was  attended  by  two 
eagles  whom  he  had  tamed,  and  he  always  sent 


them  out  after  the  prey  whose  approach  he  heard. 
Therefore  the  people  of  the  country  were  accus- 
tomed to  traverse  this  pass  with  their  shoes  in 
their  hands,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe,  for  fear 
of  being  seized  by  the  terrible  ogre.  Mylio,  how- 
ever, who  knew  nothing  of  all  this,  trotted  briskly 
into  the  narrow  pass.  But  the  tramp  of  his  horse's 
feet  woke  the  giant  out  of  his  afternoon's  nap, 
and  he  called  out,  "  Holloa  !  where  are  my  grey- 
hounds ?  Up,  sluggards,  and  bring  in  that  noisy 
fellow  for  my  supper."  The  white  and  the  red 
eagles  instantly  flew  off,  like  two  bullets  out  of  a 
rifle.  They  plunged  into  the  ravine,  seized  Mylio 
by  his  purple  cloak,  and  carried  him  into  the 
giant's  house. 

Tonyk  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the  Pass  of 
Peril,  at  the  moment  when  the  eagles  had  seized 
their  prey.  He  saw  his  brother  struggling  in  their 
talons,  and  uttering  a  loud  cry,  he  rushed  forward 
to  his  rescue.  But  long  ere  he  could  reach  them, 
they  were  hidden  among  the  clouds  and  darkness 
of  that  lofty  mountain-top. 


65 


"  I  would  move  heaven  and  earth  to  save  my 
brother,"  exclaimed  the  affectionate  Tonyk,  throw- 
ing himself  upon  the  ground  in  despair. 

"  That  would  be  making  a  great  commotion  for 
a  very  small  matter,"  said  a  tiny  little  voice,  ap- 
parently close  beside  him. 

"  Who  speaks  ?  where  are  you  ?"  exclaimed  the 
startled  youth. 

"  We  are  in  your  coat-pocket,"  answered  the 
voice. 

Tonyk  thrust  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  and  drew 
out  the  walnut,  the  acorn,  and  the  wicker-cage, 
in  which  were  inclosed  the  three  insects. 

"  Who  will  rescue  Mylio  ?"  asked  Tonyk. 

"  We  ! — We  ! — We  !"  answered  three  droning 
voices,  in  as  many  different  tones. 

"  What  can  you  do,  my  poor  little  nobodies  .?" 
said  the  youth,  sadly. 

"  Open  our  prisons,  and  you  shall  see." 

Tonyk  did  as  he  was  desired  ;  and  no  sooner  had 
he  opened  the  acorn,  than  there  issued  from  it  a 
iet-black   spider,  whose    body  was   studded   with 

66 


^gggteefr,.*^  — ^s^s-ai^^-J 


rubies,  and  who  instantly  commenced  fastening  to 
a  tree  a  thread  as  brilliant  and  strong  as  the  finest 
tempered  steel  wire.  Then  came  forward  the  drag- 
on-fly, and  taking  the  spider  on  his  back,  he  rose 
slowly  through  the  air,  swaying  himself  backwards 
and  forwards  in  such  a  manner  as  to  enable  the 
spider  to  weave  a  step-ladder  long  enough  to  reach 
the  skies.  Tonyk,  setting  the  wasp  on  the  crown 
of  his  hat,  began  to  ascend  the  ladder,  and,  though 
it  almost  took  his  breath  away  to  mount  up  so 
high  in  the  clouds,  he  at  last  reached  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  Here  the  wasp,  flying  before  him, 
guided  him  to  the  giant's  abode,  winch  was  a  great 
cave,  as  big  as  a  church,  scooped  out  of  the  solid 
rock.  Here,  in  the  centre  of  the  cavern,  sat  the 
old  ogre.  On  the  ground  lay  Mylio,  with  his 
arms  and  legs  pinioned  against  his  back,  like  a 
chicken  just  ready  for  the  spit ;  while  the  giant,  as 
he  leaned  over  him,  seemed  to  balance  his  body 
like  the  trunk  of  an  enormous  poplar  swayed  by 
the  north  wind.  He  was  in  high  good-humor,  for 
Mylio  had  always  been  under  the  care  of  a  good 


>:  ■■      ^.-r-^-^^a^rr^ 


mother,  and  of  course  his  flesh  was  firm,  and  his 
skin  white,  as  if  he  had  always  fed  on  the  fat  of 
the  land.  The  ogre  busied  himself  in  cutting 
strips  of  pork,  with  which  to  lard  his  fine  goose, 
and  as  he  did  so,  he  sung  a  sort  of  gigantic  bac- 
chanalian song,  in  tones  that  seemed  to  shake  the 
mountain.  The  noise  made  by  his  own  voice,  and 
the  deep  attention  he  was  bestowing  upon  the 
delicate  morsels  which  were  soon  to  be  inserted 
into  Mylio's  soft  skin,  prevented  him  from  hearing 
the  approach  of  Tonyk  and  his  three  little  assist- 
ants. The  eagles  were  both  in  the  chimney, 
where  one  was  employed  in  stirring  the  fire,  while 
the  other  was  winding  up  the  turnspit.  The 
red  eagle,  however,  spied  Tonyk,  and  was  dart- 
ing towards  him  with  extended  talons,  when 
the  wasp  thrust  his  diamond  sting  into  both  his 
eyes.  The  white  eagle  flew  to  the  assistance  of 
his  comrade,  but  met  with  the  same  fate,  and 
with  a  shriek  of  pain,  they  retreated  to  their 
corner.  The  old  ogre,  raising  himself  up  when  he 
heard  the  cries  of  his  attendants,  turned  towards 

68 


aaas^ss^-'H,'    -^yjy.s^r^* 


them,  and  received  the  attack  of  the  wasp  full  in 
his  face.  He  roared  like  a  wild  bull,  and  flung 
his  arms  around  like  the  sails  of  a  great  windmill, 
but  his  blindness  prevented  him  from  seizing  the 
wasp,  and  the  want  of  legs  prevented  him  from 
running  away  from  his  unmerciful  attacks.  At 
length,  half  mad  with  pain,  he  threw  himself  on 
his-  face  to  the  ground.  No  sooner  was  he  there, 
than  the  spider  hastened  to  weave  around  him  a 
web  so  strong  that  he  could  not  stir  a  finger,  but 
lay  like  a  dead  tree  in  the  forest.  In  vain  he 
called  upon  his  eagles  to  help  him.  The  pain 
they  were  suffering  from  their  blinded  eyes  made 
them  quite  savage,  and  knowing  that  the  ogre's 
power  was  at  an  end  forever,  they  determined  to 
avenge  themselves  for  their  former  slavery.  So 
they  flew  at  him,  beat  him  with  their  great  wings, 
struck  him  with  their  sharp  talons,  and  tore  out 
such  great  pieces  of  his  flesh  with  their  beaks, 
that  there  was  soon  nothing  left  of  him  but  the 
bare  bones  rattling  in  the  spider's  steel  web. 
But   scarcely   had    they  gorged   themselves   with 


their  horrid  meal,  when  they  found  they  had 
been  indulging  in  rather  indigestible  food;  for 
their  bodies  swelled  to  the  size  of  oxen,  and 
they  died  in  great  torment. 

As  for  Tonyk,  he  was  overbed  to  see  his 
brother  yet  undevoured ;  so,  cutting  asunder  his 
bonds,  he  led  him  out  of  that  frightful  cavern. 
On  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  he  found  the  wasp 
and  the  dragon-fly  harnessed  to  the  wicker-cage, 
which  was  now  transformed  into  a  magnificent 
chariot.  They  politely  requested  the  brothers  to 
seat  themselves  in  the  new  vehicle,  and  the  spider 
mounted  behind  like  a  liveried  footman.  In  this 
manner,  they  flew  along  like  the  wind,  and  accom- 
plished the  rest  of  their  journey  without  meeting 
any  new  adventures.  The  high  roads  of  the  air 
are  usually  kept  in  pretty  good  order ;  so  they 
traversed  mountains  and  plains,  hills  and  valleys, 
towns  and  villages,  with  great  rapidity,  and  soon 
found  themselves  near  their  uncle's  chateau.  The 
carriage  then  descended  towards  the  earth,  and 
the  travellers,   alighting  from  it,  were  agreeably 


surprised  to  find  their  own  horses  waiting  for  them 
on  the  drawbridge.  At  Tqnyk's  saddle-bow,  there 
hung  his  purse  and  his  purple  cloak  ;  but  the 
purse  was  now  ten  times  as  large  and  full  as  it 
had  been,  and  his  cloak  was  embroidered  with 
diamonds  and  pearls. 

The  young  men  turned  towards  the  carriage  to 
inquire  the  meaning  of  all  this,  but  the  wasp,  the 
dragon-fly,  and  the  spider,  had  all  disappeared. 
In  their  stead  they  beheld  three  fairies,  as  beau- 
tiful as  a  May  morning,  and  not  more  than  three 
inches  in  height.  Mounting  on  the  top  of  a  haw- 
thorn bush,  which  brought  them  nearly  on  a  level 
with  the  youths,  the  ladies  began  to  explain  mat- 
ters ;  but  as'  they  ail  talked  at  once,  and  each 
exerted  her  voice  to  the  utmost,  it  was  at  first 
impossible  to  distinguish  a  word.  By  dint  of  per- 
suasion and  extreme  courtesy,  Tonyk  finally  in- 
duced them  to  speak  in  turn.  He  then  learned 
that  the  old  woman,  the  frozen  child,  and  the 
beggar,  were  only  disguises  assumed  by  the  three 
fairies  to  test  the  virtue  of  the  young  travellers. 


Tonyk  had  stood  the  trial  so  well,  that  besides 
receiving  the  reward  originally  designed  for  his 
charity,  he  was  allowed  to  rescue  his  selfish  brother 
from  the  fate  he  had  so  richly  deserved ;— for  to  a 
generous  nature,  the  greatest  of  all  pleasures  is  to 
do  good  to  others.  Tonyk  thanked  the  ladies  for 
their  interest  in  his  welfare,  and  promised  better 
things  in  behalf  of  Mylio,  who  stood  with  down- 
cast eyes  and  sheepish  air,  listening  to  the  enume- 
ration of  his  brother's  virtues  and  his  own  demerits. 
Whether  he  ever  really  reformed  is  doubtful ;  for 
the  selfish  man  has  his  idol  always  so  close  to  him; 
that  he  can  scarcely  ever  put  aside  his  idolatry. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


OW  when  the  happy  family  were 
next   assembled  in  their   accus- 
tomed place  on  the  piazza,  they 
began     to      fancy     they    might 
claim  as  a  right  what  had  here- 
tofore been  accorded  as  a  favor, 
and  so  they  clamored  for  a  con- 
tinuance   of    grandfather's     legends. 
Frank  drew  forward  the  good  man's 
favorite  chair,  (which,  with  its  great 
arms,  so  hospitably  extended,  looked  as  if 
it  always  wanted  to  take  somebody  into 
its  lap,)  and,  as  the  old  gentleman  com- 
fortably sank  into  its  downiness,  he  said : 

"  This    old  chair    shall  be  called  '  Fairy  Hol- 
low? and  whenever  grandpapa  seats  himself  in  it, 

73 


*=ea=*=»5V=^ 


at  the  !  witching  hour'  of  sunset,  we  shall  expect 
some  tidings  from  fairy  land." 

"How  did  you  like  my  boy-story,  last  night, 
master  Frank,"  asked  Mr.  Waldorf;  "did  you 
derive  any  moral  from  its  grotesque  incidents  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir,"  said  Frank,  looking  very  wise : 
"  I  think  it  was  quite  an  allegory." 

"  Pray  explain  it,  for  our  benefit." 

Frank  colored  a  little,  and  replied :  "I  think 
the  two  brothers  were  intended  to  represent  Benev- 
olence and  Selfishness.  The  Wasp,  I  suppose, 
meant  courage,  the  Spider  was  perseverance,  and 
the  Dragonfly,  hope." 

"  Pretty  well  imagined,  my  boy  ;  but  we  had 
better  not  attempt  to  carry  out  the  allegory  any 
farther,  or  we  might  meet  with  some  difficulty." 

"I  hate  allegories,"  said  Edith,  "unless  they 
are  very  short,  and  so  skilfully  written  as  to  seem 
like  real  stories.  I  often  think  that  the  old  lady 
was  not  far  wrong  when  she  called  them  paregor- 
ical  stories,  for  they  always  put  me  to  sleep." 

"  I  suppose  you  would  like  me  to  find  a  rustic 


\ 


love-story  among  our  fairy  tales,  my  little  Edith. 
Well,  since  it  seems  decided  that  I  ■  am  to  tell  a 
legend  every  fine  evening,  I  will  endeavor  to  suit 
all  tastes,  and  to-night  it  is  your  turn  to  be 
consulted." 


THE 


OTHSIBH  ©IF  hub  IPEAM.  nsiLMrnDi 


)  N  former  times,  when  Fairies  were 
as  numerous  in  Brittany  as 
wolves  in  the  forest,  or  pigs  in 
the  farm-yard,  or  children  in  the 
cottages,  there  lived  in  one  of  the 
provinces  a  young  man  named 
Harold,  and  a  very  pretty  girl  called 
Bellah.  They  were  own  cousins,  and 
their  mothers,  while  they  were  yet 
tiny  little  babies,  had  determined  they 
should  marry  each  other.  So  they  were 
rocked  in  the  same  cradle,  and  fed  with 
the  same  pap-spoon,  according  to  the  custom  of 
Brittany,  whenever  one  of  these  early  betrothals 


takes  place.  As  they  grew  older  they  loved  each 
other  dearly,  and  every  thing  seemed  to  favor  them, 
when  suddenly  their  parents  died.  They  were  still 
very  young,  and  as  they  had  no  inheritance  to  de- 
pend upon,  the  poor  orphans  were  obliged  to  go  out 
to  service.  They  were  fortunate  enough  to  obtain 
employment  with  the  same  farmer,  so  that  they 
were  not  separated,  and  might  have  been  happy, 
if  they  had  only  been  willing  to  think  themselves 
so.  But  lovers,  so  says  the  Breton  legend,  are  like 
the  waves  of  the  ocean  ;  always  restless,  and  always 
complaining. 

"  If  we  could  only  get  money  enough  to  buy  a 
young  heifer,  and  a  lean  pig,"  said  Harold,  "  then  I 
would  rent  a  lot  of  land  from  the  farmer,  and  we 
might  get  married,  and  go  to  housekeeping." 

"  Yes,"  said  Bellah,  with  a  deep  sigh ;  "  but 
what  can  we  expect  in  such  hard  times  ?  Cows 
and  pigs  are  twice  as  dear  as  they  used  to  be,  and 
I  am  afraid  that  poor  folks  will  never  be  able  to 
marry,  at  least  till  better  days  come." 

"  I  dare  say  we  shall  have  to  wait  till  I   am 


^ttr£\r=*S=xr^= 


S&-***.  ^aggg^ 


gray-headed,  Bellah ;  for  I  have  noticed  that  when 
I  am  drinking  with  my  friends,  it  never  comes 
to  my  turn  to  get  the  last  glass  in  the  bottle ; 
which  you  know  is  a  sure  sign  of  being  married 
within  the  year." 

"  That  is  just  my  luck  too,"  sighed  Bellah;  "I 
have  never  yet  been  able  to  hear  the  first  song  of 
the  cuckoo,  and  I  know  that  every  girl  who  hears 
it  will  be  married  before  whiter." 

In  this  manner  they  complained  to  each  other 
every  day,  until  at  length  Harold  began  to  lose  all 
patience.  One  morning  he  went  after  Bellah,-  who 
was  very  busy  winnowing  •  corn  in  the  barn,  and 
told  her  he  was  going  to  seek  his  fortune.  The 
poor  girl  was  very  much  distressed,  and  tried  hard 
to  make  him  change  his  mind ;  but  Harold  was  an 
obstinate  fellow,  and  would  not  listen  to  reason. 

"  The  birds  fly  about  till  they  find  a  field  of 
corn,"  said  he,  "and  the  bees  will  go  miles  to  seek 
flowers  for  their  honey.  A  man  ought  not  to  have 
less  sense  than  the  beasts.  I  am  going  to  do  as 
they  do,  and  look  for  what  I  want.     When  I  get 

78 


rich  enough  to  buy  a  heifer,  and  a  lean  pig,  I  will 
come  back." 

Bellah  knew  there  was  no  use  in  talking  to  him, 
so  she  yielded  with  as  good  a  grace  as  possible. 

"  Since  you  must  go,  Harold,"  said  she,  "  I  will 
first  divide  with  you  my  little  inheritance." 

She  then  went  to  her  clothes-press,  and  took  out 
a  bell,  a  knife,  and  a  staff  made  of  the  wild  apple- 
tree. 

"These  three  relics,"  said  she,  "have  never 
been  out  of  our  family.  They  were  the  gifts  of  an 
old  fairy  many  years  ago.  The  bell  has  the  power 
of  ringing  whenever  he  who  wears  it  is  in  danger, 
and  its  sound  always  reaches  his  best  friend,  even 
if  he  is  a  hundred  miles  off.  The  knife  can 
break  all  enchantments ;  for  by  touching  it,  all 
things  are  restored  to  their  original  forms.  The 
staff  is  better  than  a  wishing  cap,  for  it  can  trans- 
port the  owner  wherever  he  wishes  to  go,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye.  The  bell  you  must  hang 
round  your  neck,  and  the  knife  you  must  carry 
in  your  pocket ;  but  the  staff  I  will  keep,  for  if  I 


hear  the  bell  ring,  I  shall  use  my  fairy  saddle- 
horse  to  go  in  search  of  you." 

Harold  thanked  his  dear  Bellah,  kissed  her  most 
heartily,  and,  I  dare  say,  shed  a  few  tears,  as  lovers 
are  apt  to  do,  on  such  occasions ;  but  still  he 
turned  his  face  towards  the  mountains,  and  left 
Bellah  to  her  farm- work. 

He  travelled  a  great  many  miles,  and  found 
things  very  much  the  same  all  over  the  world.  In 
every  town  he  was  besieged  by  beggars,  and  found 
it  would  be  far  easier  to  spend  a  fortune  than 
to  make  one.  So  he  continued  his  journey,  and 
come  at  length  to  a  pretty  village,  built  on  the 
banks  of  a  river,  bordered  with  tall  poplar  trees. 
As  he  sat  by  the  door  of  the  inn  he  overheard  two 
muleteers,  talking  together,  as  they  were  loading 
their  mules.  They  were  telling  some  wonderful 
stories  about  the  Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands  ;  and 
in  answer  to  Harold's  inquiries,  they  told  him  that 
she  was  a  great  enchantress,  who  dwelt  on  an 
island  in  the  midst  of  a  lake.     She  was  said  to 


be   richer    than  all  the  kings    in   the  world,   and 

80 


A»=^»^rt3s#aBfea^?a 


hundreds  of  people  had  gone  in  search  of  the 
Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands,  but  not  one  had  ever 
returned. 

Suddenly  it  came  into  Harold's  head  to  try  this 
adventure.  The  muleteers  tried  hard  to  dissuade 
him ;  but  finding  him  resolute,  they  raised  a 
terrible  outcry,  calling  upon  the  neighbors  to  pre- 
vent the  poor  youth  from  rushing  to  his  destruc- 
tion. Harold  thanked  them  for  their  kind  inten- 
tions, and  told  them,  that  if  they  would  contribute 
as  much  money  as  would  buy  him  a  young  heifer, 
and  a  lean  pig,  he  would  give  up  his  dangerous 
project.  But  at  this  proposal,  they  all  cried  out 
that  he  must  be  a  fool,  and  there  was  no  use  in 
trying  to  save  him. 

Harold  went  to  the  sea-shore,  and  there  found  a 
boatman,  who  carried  him  over  to  the  Pearl 
Islands.  "When  he  landed,  he  soon  found  himself 
on  the  borders  of  a  large  lake,  lying  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  islands.  The  margin  of  the  lake 
was  covered  with  grass  and  flowers ;  but  on  one 
side,  half  concealed  in  the  shadow  of  a  hawthorn 


81 


I 


bush,  he  saw  a  sea-green  pleasure-boat  floating  on 
the  still  waters.  The  little  boat  was  shaped  like 
a  sleeping  swan,  with  its  head  tucked  under  its 
wing,  and  its  webbed-feet  drawn  close  up  to  its  body. 
Harold  had  never  seen  any  tiling  like  this  before  ; 
and  in  order  to  examine  it  more  closely,  he  stepped 
into  it.  He  had  no  sooner  done  this  than  the  bird 
raised  its  head,  spread  its  great  feet  out  upon  the 
waters,  and  paddled  out  from  the  shore.  Harold, 
frightened  half  to  death,  jumped  into  the  water, 
intending  to  swim  back  ;  but  the  bud  caught  him 
with  its  strong  beak,  and  plunged  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  lake.  As  the  poor  fellow  could  not 
open  his  mouth  without  swallowing  some  of  the 
sulphurous  water  of  the  lake,  he  dared  not  even  cry 
for  help.  He  felt  himself  going  down,  lower  and 
lower,  but  at  length  the  bird  paused,  and  he  found 
himself  at  the  gate  of  a  magnificent  palace,  built 
of  the  most  beautiful  sea-shells.  The  stairs  which 
led  into  the  palace  was  of  rock  crystal,  and  it  was 
so  curiously  constructed,  that  every  step  began  to 
sing  most  melodiously,  as  soon  as  a  foot  touched 


82 


it.  Forests  of  marine  shrubs  and  trees,  stretched 
off  in  the  distance  ;  around  the  palace  lay  gardens 
filled  with  flowers  made  of  pearls  and  precious  stones, 
while  instead  of  grassy  lawns,  there  were  large 
fields  of  every  variety  of  sea-weed,  sprinkled  all  over 
with  diamonds,  like  daisies  in  a  June  meadow. 

As  Harold  entered  the  door  of  this  superb  pal- 
ace, he  was  struck  dumb  with  amazement. 
Reclining  on  a  couch  of  solid  gold,  canopied  with 
the  most  beautiful  ostrich  and  peacock  feathers, 
lay  the  beautiful  Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands.  She 
was  dressed  in  a  flowing  robe,  as  green  as  the  sea, 
as  fine  as  a  ray  of  light,  and  as  pliant  as  a  wave. 
Her  dark  hair,  bound  with  wreaths  of  crimson 
coral,  reached  to  her  feet ;  and  the  blush  which 
overspread  her  snow-white  skin  at  the  sight  of 
Harold,  was  like  the  rosy  tint  in  the  lip  of  a  sea- 
shell.  Seeing  that  he  paused  on  the  threshold, 
the  queen  arose,  and,  smiling  sweetly,  advanced 
towards  him.  Her  motions  were  so  graceful,  that 
she  seemed  to  float  onwards,  like  the  foam  on  a 
wave.     She  received  the  stranger  very  kindly. 


"  You  are  welcome,"  said  she,  making  a  sign 
for  him  to  enter ;  "we  have  always  room  for 
handsome  young  men  in  my  palace." 

Harold  was  a  little  nattered,  and  he  ventured  to 
enter  the  apartment. 

"Who  are  you?  whence  do  you  come?  and 
what  do  you  seek  ?"  asked  the  queen. 

"  I  am  called  Harold ;  I  come  from  Lanillis ;  I 
am  looking  for  money  to  buy  a  young  heifer  and  a 
lean  pig,"  answered  Harold. 

"  Come  and  feast  with  me,  Harold,"  said  the 
enchantress.  "  I  promise  to  give  you  all  you 
desire."  ^ 

With  these  words,  she  led  Harold  into  a  second 
saloon,  hung  with  silken  tapestry  embroidered  with 
pearls.  Here  she  placed  before  him  eight  large 
goblets  made  of  chased  silver,  and  lined  with  gold, 
the  handles  and  brims  of  which  were  incrusted 
with  precious  stones.  These  cups  she  filled  with 
eight  different  kinds  of  wine.  Harold  tasted  them 
all  in  turn,  and  found  them  so.  excellent  that  he 
drank  each  cup   out  eight  times,  and  at   every 

84  "^ 


draught  the  queen  seemed  to  become  more  and 
more  beautiful  in  his  eyes.  She  begged  him  not 
to  be  sparing  of  the  wine,  for  her  cellars  were  full 
of  hundreds  of  casks.  She  told  him  that  the  lake 
in  the  midst  of  the  islands,  had  a  subterraneous 
communication  with  the  ocean,  and  that  as  all  the 
treasures  which  were  swallowed  up  by  the  numer- 
ous shipwrecks,  were  brought  into  the  lake  by  a 
magical  under-current,  of  course  there  was  no  end 
to  her  riches. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  Harold  "  I  don't  wonder 
people  say  hard  things  of  you.  Such  rich  people 
must  always  expect  to  be  envied.  I  wish  I  had  only 
half  your  fortune." 

"  You  shall  have  the  whole  if  you  please,"  said 
the  fairy. 

"How?"  was  his  astonished  question. 

"  I  have  just  received  news  of  the  death  of  my 
husband,  a  poor  miserable  dwarf  of  a  fairy,  whom  I 
never  cared  any  thing  about ;  I  have  taken  a  great 
fancy  to  your  good  looks,  and  if  you  choose,  you 
shall  be  my  second  husband." 

85 


The  young  man  was  startled.  Such  an  offer  from 
a  beautiful  woman  who  could  give  him  eight  differ- 
ent kinds  of  wine  every  day,  was  certainly  a  great 
temptation.  It  is  true  he  was  promised  to  Bellah, 
but  men  easily  forget  such  youthful  follies,  and,  be- 
sides, how  could  he  ever  marry  Bellah  if  he  could 
never  get  money  enough  to  buy  the  heifer  and  the 
lean  pig  ?  He  pondered  over  it  about  two  minutes, 
but  the  wine  was  dancing  in  his  head  and  he  could 
not  think  very  clearly.  However,  he  remembered 
her  hundreds  of  casks  in  the  cellar,  and  that  deter- 
mined him.  He  very  politely  told  the  enchantress 
that  nothing  would  give  him  greater  pleasure  than 
to  become  her  husband,  and  the  Queen  of  the  Pearl 
Islands  replied  that  she  would  immediately  prepare 
the  wedding  supper. 

Accordingly  she  set  out  a  golden  table,  and  put 
on  it  every  good  thing  that  Harold  had  ever  dreamed 
of  in  his  whole  life,  as  well  as  a  great  many  dain- 
ties which  he  had  never  heard  of.  Then  running 
out  to  a  fishpond  at  the  end  of  the  palace  garden, 
she  called  out : 


80 


"  Come,  lawyer !  come,  miller !  come,  tailor !  come,  priest ! 
For  you  must  be  fried  that  my  husband  may  feast." 


At  each  name  she  called,  a  fish  darted  towards  her, 
which  she  caught  in  her  hand,  and  put  into  a  sil- 
ver net  which  was  hanging  at  her  girdle.  When 
the  net  was  full,  she  carried  the  fish  to  the  palace, 
and  leaving  Harold  in  the  saloon,  she  went  into 
the  adjoining  room,  where  she  threw  them  into  a 
golden  frying-pan.  As  the  pan  began  to  hiss  over 
the  fire,  Harold  thought  he  heard  the  murmur  of 
voices. 

"  "What  whispering  is  that,  I  hear,  my  beautiful 
queen?"   asked  the  young  man. 

"  It  is  only  the  crackling  of  the  green  wood  un- 
der the  pan,"  answered  the  enchantress,  stirring 
the  fire  as  she  spoke. 

In  less  than  a  minute  Harold  heard  again  the 
sound  of  half-choked  voices. 

"  What  whispering  do  I  hear,  my  beautiful 
queen?"   he  again  asked. 

"  It  is  only  the  melting  of  the  lard  in  the  pan," 

87 


she  replied,  at  the  same  time  turning  the  fish  over 
as  she  spoke. 

The  little  voices  now  uttered  faint  and  doleful 
cries. 

"What  do  I  hear  crying,  my  beautiful  queen?" 
said  Harold  a^ain. 

"It  is  only  the  chirping  of  the  cricket  on  the 
hearth,"  answered  the  fairy,  beginning  to  sing  so 
loud  that  Harold  could  listen  to  nothing  else.  But 
the  young  Breton,  who  had  time  to  recover  a  little 
from  the  effects  of  the  wine,  began  to  reflect  upon 
these  strange  sounds.  He  grew  a  little  frightened, 
and  of  course,  as  he  thought  himself  in  danger,  he 
began  to  feel  some  penitence  for  his  folly. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  thought  he,  "  that  I  have  been 
so  near  forgetting  my  dear  Bellah  for  the  sake  of  a 
fairy,  whose  mother  is  perhaps  a  fish,  and  her 
father  a  sea-snake !  She  is  certainly  one  of  the 
foul  fiend's  own  brood,  and  if  I  should  marry  her,  I 
should,  have  to  go  to  bed  every  night  without  say- 
ing my  prayers.  What  shall  I  do  ?  How  shall  I 
escape  out  of  this  horrible  island  ?" 


While  he  was  thus  talking  to  himself  for  want  of 
better  company,  the  Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands  had 
set  the  fried  fish  in  a  golden  dish  upon  the  table,  and 
now  summoned  Harold  to  take  his  seat  at  supper. 

"  Eat  heartily,"  said  she ;  "  those  fish  are  of 
excellent  flavor  and  well  fattened,  so  do  not  spare 
them.  In  the  meantime  I  will  go  into  the  cellar, 
and  draw  twelve  different  kinds  of  wine  for  you." 

Harold  sat  down  by  the  table,  and  as  the  en- 
chantress left  the  room  to  get  the  wine,  he  drew 
out  his  knife  and  began  to  attack  the  fish,  which 
certainly  looked  very  tempting,  and  had  a  most 
savory  smell.  But  no  sooner  had  the  magic  blade 
touched  the  golden  dish,  than  the  fish  suddenly  re- 
turned to  their  original  forms,  and  popped  them- 
selves up  before  him  as  little  men,  clad  in  the  dress 
of  their  profession.  The  lawyer  stood  up  in  his 
black  robe,  the  tailor  in  purple  breeches,  the  miller 
in  a  meal-colored  doublet,  and  the  priest  in  his 
white  surplice,  all  crying  out  as  loud  as  they  could, 
while  they  tried  hard  to  keep  their  heads  above  the 
melted  butter. 

89 


"  Save  us,  Harold,  if  you  wish  to  save  your- 
self!" 

"  Who  in  the  world  are  you  ?"  exclaimed  Har- 
old. "  This  is  the  first  time  I  ever  saw  five  Chris- 
tians swimming  in  boiling  fat." 

"  We  are  foolish  men,  hke  yourself,"  they  re- 
plied. "  We  came  to  the  Pearl  Islands  to  seek  our 
fortune.  We  drank  wine  from  golden  cups  till  we 
did  not  know  what  we  were  doing.  We  married 
the  queen ;  and  the  next  morning  we  found  our- 
selves swimming  in  the  fish-pond,  with  hundreds 
of  others  like  ourselves." 

"What!"  exclaimed  Harold,  "can  it  be  possi- 
ble that  so  young  and  beautiful  a  woman  is  al- 
ready the  widow  of  hundreds  of  fish  ?" 

"  Yes,  yes,"  sputtered  the  poor  little  men ;  "  and 
to-morrow  you  will  be  in  the  same  condition  that 
we  are,  with  a  fair  chance  of  being  fried  and  eaten 
by  the  next  young  man  that  comes  here." 

Harold  gave  a  tremendous  leap,  as  if  he  already 
felt  himself  in  the  hot  pan,  and  ran  to  the  door, 
hoping  to  make  his  escape  before  the  return  of  the 

90 


enchantress.  But  she  had  been  standing  outside, 
and  had  overheard  every  thing.  Just  as  he  reached 
the  door,  she  threw  her  silver  net  over  his  head, 
and  in  an  instant  Harold  had  assumed  the  form  of 
a  little  green  frog,  which  the  wicked  queen  threw 
into  the  fish-pond  along  with  her  former  husbands. 
At  the  moment  when  these  wonderful  events 
were  occurring  in  the  Pearl  Islands,  Bellah  was  in 
the  dairy  at  Lanillis,  straining  the  morning's  milk. 
But  the  moment  that  Harold  was  changed  into  a 
frog,  the  bell  which  he  wore  about  his  neck  began 
to  ring,  and  Bellah  heard  it  distinctly.  It  sounded 
to  her  like  a  clap  of  thunder,  for  she  knew  Harold 
must  be  in  danger.  She  dropped  the  strainer  into 
the  milk,  and  only  waiting  to  put  on  her  Sunday 
gown  and  her  new  wooden  shoes,  she  took  her 
magic  staff  and  hurried  off.  When  she  reached 
the  cross-road,  she  planted  her  staff  firmly  in  the 
ground,  and  walking  three  times  round  it,  with 
clasped  hands,  she  uttered  the  charm  : 


By  the  spell  that  was  laid 
On  the  wild  apple-tree, 


h.^l_^U.g=^==5g»=53^; 


sg\jiw-?= 


Conduct  me  in  safety 
O'er  land  and  o'er  sea." 


The  staff  instantly  disappeared,  and  in  its  place 
stood  a  little  bay  mare,  all  groomed,  and  saddled, 
and  bridled,  with  a  knot  of  ribbons  at  each  ear,  and 
a  plume  of  blue  feathers  on  her  forehead.  Bellah 
mounted  her  new  steed,  who  at  first  went  off  on  a 
walk,  then  warmed  up  into  a  trot,  and  at  last 
started  into  a  furious  gallop.  She  went  so  swiftly, 
that  hedges  and  ditches,  houses  and  churches, 
passed  before  Bellah's  eyes  like  the  whirling  of  a 
spindle.  But  she  did  not  mind  this,  for  she  was 
anxious  to  find  Harold,  and  she  urged  her  bay 
mare  to  its  utmost  speed  by  singing: 

"  The  swallow  skims  the  fields  of  air, 

But  the  wind  outstrips  the  swallow's  speed; 
And  swifter  still  is  the  lightning's  glare, 
But  swifter  be  thou,  my  magic  steed !" 

The  mare  understood  her  wishes,  and  dashed  on, 
like  a  straw  in  a  whirlwind,  until  she  reached  the 
foot  of  a  high  mountain  called  the  "Stag's  Leap." 


Bellah  knew  that  neither  horse  nor  mare  could 
scramble  up  that  smooth  rock,  so  dismounting  from 
the  saddle,  she  walked  three  times  round  the  bay 
mare,  twirling  her  thumbs  from  east  to  west,  and 
sung: 

"  By  the  spell  that  was  laid 
On  the  wild  apple-tree, 
I  charge  thee  to  guide  me 
O'er  mountain  and  sea." 


Before  the  last  words  were  uttered,  the  bay 
mare  had  gathered  up  her  legs,  and  spread  out  a 
pair  of  wings,  and  become  a  great  eagle,  which 
taking  Bellah  on  its  back,  carried  her  to  the  top  of 
the  mountain.  Here  the  eagle  crouched  down, 
and  she  got  off.  On  the  topmost  cliff  she  saw  a 
large  nest  made  of  clay,  and  lined  with  dry  moss. 
As  she  approached  it,  she  found  it  occupied  by  a 
little  old  dwarf,  as  wrinkled  as  a  wet  sheep-skin, 
and  as  black  as  a  smoked  fish.  As  soon  as  he  saw 
Bellah,  he  called  out : 

"  Aha !   my  pretty  girl,  so  you  have  come  at 


last ;  I've  waited  for  you  a  long  time.  Now  you 
will  release  me  from  this  hateful  nest." 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  said  Bellah ;  "  and  how  can 
I  release  you?" 

"  I  am  Jeanne  ton,  the  husband  of  the  Queen  of 
the  Pearl  Islands,  and  it  is  my  wicked  wife  who 
keeps  me  here." 

"  What  are  you  doing  in  that  nest,  my  little 
man  ?" 

"  I  am  sitting  on  six  stone  eggs,  and  I  cannot  be 
released  until  they  are  all  hatched." 

Bellah  could  not  help  laughing.  "  Poor  dear 
little  man-bird,"  said  she,  "  how  can  I  release 
you  ?" 

"  By  saving  Harold  from  the  spells  of  the  Queen 
of  the  Pearl  Islands." 

"  Oh  !  I  would  go  through  the  world  barefoot  to 
do  that." 

"  You  must  do  two  things,"  said  Jeanneton,  the 
dwarf :  "  first,  you  must  visit  the  queen  in  the  dis- 
guise of  a  young  man ;  and  when  you  get  there, 
you  must  obtain  the  silver  net  she  carries  at  her 

94 


yJBBP^ y^rm>g-->-r~i ■  r.i ,7£;rf  -frn^u^^,       j  ^BBa^gg^SB^ -Tr^s^=5~^*^j= 


girdle,    for   with   nothing    else   can   she    be    held 
bound." 

"  Where  can  I  find  a  dress  to  fit  me,  my  dear 
mannikin  ?"   asked  Bellah. 

"  You  shall  soon  see,  my  little  milkmaid." 
With  these  words,  the  dwarf  pulled  four  long, 
coarse  hairs  out  of  his  head,  and  blowing  upon 
them,  muttered  some  words,  as  he  threw  them  on 
the  ground.  Immediately  the  hairs  sprung  up 
into  four  brisk  tailors,  one  of  whom  carried  a  cab- 
bage, another  a  scissors,  a  third  a  thimble,  and  a 
fourth  an  iron  goose.  They  seated  themselves 
round  the  nest,  and  doubling  up  their  legs  in  the 
form  of  an  X,  they  went  to  work  upon  a  dress  for 
Bellah.  Out  of  one  leaf  of  the  cabbage  they  soon 
made  a  beautiful  coat,  embroidered  down  every 
seam.  Another  leaf  furnished  them  with  materials 
for  a  fine  waistcoat ;  but  it  took  two  of  the  very 
largest  leaves  to  make  the  great  trunk-hose,  which 
were  then  in  fashion.  They  cut  the  heart  of  the 
cabbage  into  an  excellent  hat,  and  the  stalk,  with  a 
little  splicing,  served  to  make  a  pair  of  shoes.  When 


Bellah  had  put  on  this  elegant  dress,  she  looked 
like  a  young  prince,  for  her  clothes  were  of  velvet, 
lined  with  the  purest  white  satin,  and  every  button 
was  a  diamond,  while  the  button-holes  were  all 
worked  with  gold  thread.  So,  thanking  the  poor 
little  dwarf,  who  was  almost  frozen  to  death,  with 
sitting  so  long  on  the  stone  eggs,  she  mounted  her 
eagle,  and  set  out  on  her  journey.  The  bird  knew 
where  to  go,  and  he  never  stayed  his  flight  until  he 
set  her  down  on  the  margin  of  the  lake,  in  the 
midst  of  the  Pearl  Islands.  Having  received  in- 
structions from  Jeanneton,  she  knew  exactly  what 
to  do.  So,  commmanding  her  bird  to  become  a 
staff  again,  she  took  it  in  her  hand,  entered  the 
swan-shaped  boat,  and  in  a  few  minutes  found  her- 
self at  the  palace  gate. 

"When  the  Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands  saw  the 
handsome  youth,  dressed  in  green  velvet,  with 
diamond  buttons,  she  was  highly  delighted.  "  This 
is  the  finest  young  fellow  I  have  ever  seen,"  said 
she  to  herself.  "  I  should  not  wonder  if  I  were  to 
love  him  at  least  nine  days."     She  immediately 


began  to  lavish  all  kinds  of  attentions  upon  Bellah, 
calling  her  a  darling,  a  sweetheart,  and  all  such 
pretty  and  flattering  names.  She  insisted  on  pro- 
viding some  food  for  the  stranger,  and  while  she 
was  bringing  out  her  dainties,  Bellah  spied  on  the 
table  the  magic  knife  she  had  given  Harold.  She 
hid  it  in  her  bosom,  until  she  should  find  occasion 
to  use  it,  and  followed  the  enchantress  out  to  the 
garden.  Here  she  showed  Bellah  the  greenwood 
all  sprinkled  with  diamonds,  the  fountains  throwing 
up  jets  of  perfumed  lavender-water,  and  the  fish- 
pond, full  of  fish,  of  every  color  of  the  rainbow. 
Bellah  appeared  delighted  with  every  thing,  espe- 
cially with  the  pond  full  of  fish,  and  seated  herself 
on  the  bank,  to  watch  them  floating  about  in  the 
water.  The  Queen  of  the  Pearl  Islands  took  this 
opportunity  of  asking  Bellah  if  she  would  not  like 
to  marry  her,  and  remain  always  among  these 
beautiful  objects.  Bellah  declared  that  nothing 
else  could  make  her  half  so  happy. 

"  Then  we  will  be  married  without  delay,"  said 
the  fairy. 


"  Yes,"  said  Bellah,  "  but  on  one  condition ; 
you  must  lend  me  the  silver  net  which  hangs  at 
your  girdle,  that  I  may  catch  some  of  these  fish 
for  our  wedding-supper." 

The  enchantress,  pleased  at  finding  Bellah  so 
obliging,  and  suspecting  no  treachery,  unloosed  the 
net  from  her  girdle,  saying : 

"  Try  your  luck,  young  fisherman,  and  let  us 
see  what  you  will  catch." 

il  I  will  make  sure  of  a  devil-fish,"  cried  Bellah, 
suddenly  throwing  the  enchanted  net  over  the 
fairy's  head.  "  By  the  power  of  your  own  spells, 
I  charge  you  to  become  as  hideous  in  body  as  you 
are  in  soul." 

The  enchantress  uttered  a  loud  cry,  which  ended 
in  a  stifled  murmur,  for  the  beautiful  Queen  of  the 
Pearl  Islands  was  instantly  changed  into  a  hideous 
queen  of  toads. 

Bellah  gathered  up  the  silver  net  and  flung  it 
into  a  deep  pit,  over  the  mouth  of  which  she  placed 
a  great  stone,  so  that  the  instrument  of  so  much 
mischief  might  never  again  be  found.     She  then 


hurried  out  to  the  fish-pond ;  but  the  fish  had  al- 
ready leaped  out  of  the  water,  and  were  coming  in 
procession  to  meet  her,  crying  out  at  the  very  top 
of  their  little  hoarse  voices  : 

"  Hail  to  our  lord  and  master,  who  has  delivered 
us  from  the  silver  net  and  the  golden  frying-pan !" 

"  Let  me  now  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you 
restored  to  your  true  shapes,"  said  Bellah,  drawing 
from  her  bosom  the  magic  knife.  As  she  stooped 
down  to  reach  the  procession  of  fish,  she  saw  at  her 
feet,  a  little  green  frog,  with  a  bell  on  his  neck. 
He  was  sobbing  as  if  his  heart  would  break,  and 
pressed  his  tiny  fore  feet  to  his  bosom,  with  the 
most  pathetic  air  imaginable.  Bellah  had  a  secret 
and  instinctive  idea  that  she  was  looking  on  an  old 
friend. 

"  Is  it  you,  my  dear  Harold  ?"  she  exclaimed. 

"  Alas,  yes  ;  it  is  your  own  repentant  Harold  !" 
croaked  out  the  befrogged  youth. 

Bellah  touched  him  with  the  magic  knife,  and 
immediately  found  herself  in  the  arms  of  her  lover. 
After  they  had  kissed  and  embraced  each  other, 


^^!S=-  -■  ga  —  l.  rifrg 


they  remembered  the  poor  little  fish,  who  were 
modestly  waiting  their  turn  to  be  freed  from  their 
enchantment.  Bellah  gave  them  all  the  required 
touch,  and  in  less  than  a  minute  the  garden  was 
filled  with  hundreds  of  people  of  all  countries.  In 
the  midst  of  the  confusion  that  ensued,  who  should 
come  sweeping  along  but  Jeanneton,  the  dwarf. 
He  was  sitting  in  the  nest,  which  he  had  trans- 
formed into  a  golden  car ;  and  he  was  drawn 
through  the  air  by  six  magnificent  lady-bugs,  all 
studded  with  rubies  and  emeralds.  These  beauti- 
ful winged  steeds  had  broken  through  the  stone 
eggs,  at  the  very  moment  when  Bellah  threw  the 
net  over  the  head  of  the  enchantress. 

"  Here  I  come,  pretty  maiden,"  said  he  to  Bel- 
lah ;  "  you  have  broken  the  charm,  and  changed 
me  from  an  old  hen,  into  a  comely-looking  young 
man." 

Bellah  hid  her  face  on  Harold's  shoulder,  for  she 
could  hardly  refrain  from  'aughing  at  the  little, 
wrinkled,  ugly  old  fellow,  who  evidently  considered 
himself  quite  a  beau. 


"  You  deserve  that  I  should  marry  you,"  said 
the  fairy,  "  but  the  old  proverb  holds  good  with  me, 
1  a  scalded  cat  dreads  cold  water.'  I  have  found  one 
wife  too  much  for  me,  and  shall  now  remain  a 
widower  to  the  end  of  my  days." 

He  then  led  them  into  the  treasure-chambers 
of  the  palace,  and  told  the  lovers  to  take  as  much  ' 
as  they  could  carry.  They  rilled  their  pockets, 
their  girdles,  and  their  hats  with  diamonds,  and 
emeralds,  and  pearls^  They  even  dropped  some 
into  the  toes  of  their  wooden  shoes ;  and  at  last, 
Bellah  proposed  that  they  should  tighten  the  knee- 
buckles  of  their  trunk-hose,  and  pour  them  full  of 
gold  pieces.  "When  this  was  done,  finding  it  rather 
inconvenient  to  walk  when  encumbered  with  such 
a  weight  of  treasure,  Bellah  ordered  her  staff  to 
become  an  immense  chariot,  large  enough  to  hold 
all  the  people  she  had  delivered  from  their  enchant- 
ment. In  this  manner  they  arrived  safely  at  Lan- 
illis,  where  the  banns  of  marriage  were  immediately 
published  between  Harold  and  Bellah,  who  were  at 

last  allowed  to  eat  their  wedding-supper  in  peace. 

101 


They  were  now  very  happy  ;  for  instead  of  buy- 
ing a  young  heifer,  and  a  lean  pig,  Harold  became 
master  of  all  the  richest  lands  in  the  district,  and 
settled  upon  them,  as  farmers,  all  the  men  who  had 
been  rescued  from  the  power  of  the  Queen  of  the 
Pearl  Islands. 


102 


=ijF=^r^^^*~T^^^==g=:Bi^::=3^^''""''arJ-=^:£=sg^^ 


CHAPTER   V. 

O  habitual  a  thing  had  it  become 
for  grandfather  to  relate  a  story 
every  evening,  that  the  children 
felt  quite  aggrieved  when  any 
thing  occurred  to  deprive  them 
of  the  anticipated  pleasure.  It 
happened,  on  the  day  following  that 
on  which  they  had  listened  to  the 
legend  of  the  Queen  of  the  Pearl 
Islands,  a  lady  came  to  make  a  visit  to 
their  mother ;  and,  out  of  politeness  to 
their  guest,  the  stories  were  suspended. 
They  became  quite  impatient  at  being  deprived  of 
their  accustomed  indulgence,  and  probably  felt  the 
disappointment  the  more,  because  the  lady  was  so 

103 


uncongenial  in  some  of  her  tastes,  that  they  could 
not  become  interested  in  her  or  her  conversation. 

Mrs.  Lorton  was  a  very  sensible  and  excellent 
woman ;  but  she  made  the  mistake  of  regarding 
children  as  necessary  evils  in  a  community,  who 
were  to  be  kept  out  of  the  way  as  much  as  possible, 
and  after  being  treated  like  babies  up  to  a  certain 
age,  were  then  to  receive  the  discipline  of  criminals 
until  they  became  men  and  women.  She  was  a 
a  widow,  but  had  never  been  a  mother  ;  and  though 
her  nephews  and  nieces  paid  her  visits  of  ceremony 
at  stated  times,  yet  they  stood  in  such  awe  of  her 
spotless  carpets,  her  shining  tables,  her  glittering 
door-knobs  and  polished  hearth-stones,  that  they 
moved  about  like  little  machines,  glad  to  escape  as 
quick  as  possible  from  the  oppressive  neatness  and 
coldness  of  her  abode.  She  had  no  sympathy  with 
youth  ;  none  of  that  precious  dew  about  her  heart 
which  keeps  the  feelings  so  fresh  and  unfaded  even 
in  old  age.  Childhood  was,  in  her  opinion,  a  very 
disagreeable  period  in  life,  and  she  endeavored  to 
shorten  it  by  putting  old  heads  on  young  shoulders, 

104 


whenever  she  had  the  opportunity.  She  was  al- 
ways lecturing  and  advising ;  she  was  full  of  those 
odious  little  proverbs,  which  children  hold  in  such 
horror. — "Children  should  be  seen,  and  not  heard:" 
"Little  pitchers  with  big  ears:"  "Early  to  bed, 
and  early  to  rise  :"  "  Spare  the  rod,  and  spoil  the 
child :"  and  all  the  "  proverbial  philosophy"  which 
has  been  dinned  into  the  ears  of  the  world's  "  lit- 
tle people"  for  so  many  years,  and  which  all  chil- 
dren so  heartily  detest ; — such  were  among  her 
most  agreeable  modes  of  conveying  admonition  to 
young  people. 

Of  course,  she  soon  succeeded  in  making  herself 
excessively  disagreeable  to  the  Waldorf  children ; 
and  while  they  treated  her  with  the  respect  due  to 
a  guest,  they  were  yet  restrained  and  uncomforta- 
ble in  her  presence.  After  a  week's  stay,  however, 
she  left  them  to  return  to  her  home,  and  the  car- 
riage which  bore  her  from  the  door,  had  scarcely  got 
beyond  the  gate  of  the  lawn,  when  Frank  threw 
up  his  hat,  and  uttered  a  loud  "Huzzah!"  taking 
care,  however,  that  no  one  heard  him  but  Edith. 


105 


"I  couldn't  help  it,"  said  he,  in  reply  to  her 
gentle  remonstrance.  "  I  am  glad  Mrs.  Lorton  is 
gone ;  the  whole  house  seemed  turned  into  a  school 
while  she  was  here.  I  took  a  dislike  to  her  the 
day  after  she  came  here  ;  for,  instead  of  giving  lit- 
tle Bertha  a  kiss  for  the  pretty  nosegay  she  laid 
on  her  plate  at  breakfast,  she  only  told  her  how 
naughty  it  was  to  break  off  the  buds  with  the 
blossoms,  and  began  to  give  the  poor  child  quite  a 
lecture  on  botany." 

"  That  is  a  small  cause  for  disliking  her,"  said 
Edith,  gently. 

"Well,  you  may  think  so,  but  I  know  it  showed 
character,  as  grandfather  says.  She  wants  chil- 
dren to  be  little  old  men  and  women ;  and  she 
might  as  well  expect  a  kitten  to  be  as  quiet  and 
demure  as  the  old  mother-cat." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  Frank  ?  You 
seem  very  much  in  earnest,  if  I  may  judge  by  your 
gesticulations,"  said  old  Mr.  Waldorf,  at  that  mo- 
ment coming  out  on  the  piazza. 

"  Oh  ,  grandfather,  I  was  just  going  to  look  for 


106 


you,"  exclaimed  Frank.  "  Can't  we  have  a  fairy 
story  to-night  ?  I  dare  say  Mrs.  Lorton  would  be 
shocked  at  such  an  enormity ;  but  she  is  far  away 
by  this  time." 

"  Many  very  good  and  sensible  people,  Frank, 
object  to  legends  and  fairy  tales,  as  a  source  of 
amusement,  or  a  medium  of  instruction  for  their 
children,"  said  Mr.  "Waldorf. 

"  Why  do  they  dislike  them  ?"  asked  Edith, 
modestly. 

"  From  a  mistaken  idea,  that  all  which  is  not 
truth  is  falsehood.  If  they  say  all  which  is  not 
fact  is  fable,  I  agree  with  them  ;  but  there  are  so 
many  fine  moral  truths  which  are  made  more  use- 
ful by  the  aid  of  fancy,  than  they  could  ever  be 
as  mere  abstractions,  that  I  cannot  unite  in  con- 
demning the  attempt  to  garb  them  in  a  costume 
which  makes  them  more  conspicuous.  '  Truth  se- 
vere by  fiction  drest,'  as  the  poet  styles  it,  is  not, 
to  my  mind,  falsehood.  There  are  moral  truths 
so  great  and  stupendous,  that  the  feeble  capacity 
of  youth  may  be  unable  to  grasp  them  in  all  their 

107 


grandeur.  Then  the  camera-obscura  of  fancy  may 
be  properly  brought  in  use,  to  diminish  then  pro- 
portions, in  order  that  they  may  come  within  a 
limited  range  of  vision,  until  the  mental  sight  be- 
comes fitted  to  receive  their  full  magnificence. 
Again,  there  are  multitudes  of  minor  moral  truths 
which  would  escape  the  eye  of  youth,  if  they  were 
not  caught  in  the  fantastic  web  of  imagination,  and 
there  secured  until  the  youthful  eye  could  become 
familiar  with  their  form  and  comeliness.  I  re- 
member once  standing  with  several  friends  on  a 
terrace,  which  commanded  a  view  of  a  superb 
landscape.  We  were  all  expressing  our  admiration 
in  the  most  vivid  terms,  when  I  observed  a  sad  ex- 
pression steal  over  the  countenance  of  one  of  the 
ladies.  She  was  very  near-sighted,  and  all  that 
we  so  much  extolled,  was  but  a  green  waste  to  her 
eyes.  As  soon  as  this  was  remarked,  a  gentleman 
in  the  company  drew  from  his  pocket  a  Claude- 
Lorraine  glass." 

"  What  is  that,  grandfather  ?" 

"It  is  a  mirror,  which,  besides  reflecting  every 

108 


object  in  reduced  size,  is  tinged  with  the  most  deli- 
cate rose-color,  or  azure,  and  of  course  creates,  as 
it  were,  a  beautiful  atmosphere  for  every  scene 
which  is  depicted  on  its  surface.  It  derives  its 
name  from  the  great  landscape  painter,  who  ex- 
celled in  what  is  technically  called  the  atmosphere 
of  his  pictures.  This  almost  magical  glass,  was 
handed  to  the  lady  ;  she  gazed  in  it  as  if  her  very 
soul  was  in  her  eyes.  In  a  mirror  scarcely  ten 
inches  long,  she  saw  all  the  beauties,  which  before 
had  been  hidden  from  her  view.  The  blue  moun- 
tains in  the  distance,  the  hanging  woods  on  their 
sides,  the  rushing  river  at  their  foot,  the  village  be- 
side the  stream,  the  village  girls  at  the  spring,  the 
children  at  play  on  the  green,  all  was  called  up  in 
life-like  beauty  before  her  ;  and  for  the  first  time, 
a  widely  extended  view  of  nature's  charms  was 
brought  within  her  limited  range  of  eyesight." 

"  Oh !  how  delightful  it  must  have  been,"  ex- 
claimed Edith. 

"  What  that  Claude-Lorraine  glass  was  to  my 
friend's  bodily  eyes,  the  mirror  of  fancy  often  is  to 

109 


the  imperfect  perceptions  of  youth.  Some  may 
say  she  did  not  actually  see  nature  in  its  full  size, 
and  its  varied  tints ;  but  was  it  not  better  to  see  a 
perfect  picture  of  the  scene  in  miniature,  than  to 
have  received  no  impression  of  its  beauties  ?  I  can 
assure  you  she  considered  herself  richer  for  the  rest 
of  her  life,  when  she  found  herself  possessor  of  a 
talisman  which  could  bring  a  landscape  to  her  feet 
at  any  moment." 

"  I  am  sure  anybody  but  Mrs.  Lorton  would  be 
quite  satisfied  with  your  vindication  of  fairy  tales, 
grandpapa,"  said  Frank. 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  to  flatter  me  with  omit- 
ting the  remainder  of  my  lecture  on  fiction,  and 
giving  you  a  legend  instead.  Well,  I  am  quite 
ready ;  and  as  I  see  your  father  and  mother  are 
waiting  for  us,  we  may  as  well  take  our  usual 
places."  So  saying,  the  old  gentleman  sank  into 
the  comfortable  depths  of  Fairy  Hollow,  and  be- 


Shi  ifamibib's  irffiioHi 


INARD,  a  valley  near  Morlaix, 
was  the  abode  of  a  certain  rich 
farmer,  who  had  a  very  beau- 
tiful daughter  named  Barbaika. 
Besides  being  noted  far  and  near 
for  her  beauty,  this  young  lady 
was  celebrated  as  the  best  dan- 
cer, and  the  most  elegantly  dressed 
damsel  in  the  whole  parish.  When 
she  rode  into  Morlaix  to  church,  she 
always  wore  a  richly  embroidered  coif,  or 
cap,  a  silk  kerchief,  five  petticoats,  one 
over  the  other,  and  slippers  with  silver  buckles. 
This  style  of  dress,  in  a  country  where  wooden 
shoes  and  serge  petticoats  are  much  more  common 

than  French  millinery,  naturally  enough  excited 

111 


the  envy  of  her  neighbors.      The  market-women 

used  to  shake  their  heads  very  significantly,  and 

wonder  "  how  long  it  would  be  before  the  black  ox 

trod  on  her  foot."     But  Barbai'ka  cared  little  for 

their  scandal,  so  long  as  she  could  wear  fine  clothes 

and  have  plenty  of  beaux  around  her.     This  was 

not  difficult,  for  her  father  was  rich,  and  gave  her 

whatever  she  wanted ;    and  as  for  lovers,  it  was 

then  just  the  same  as  it  is  now, — young  men  are 

like  straws-  hanging  on  the  bushes,  the  lightest  puff 

of  wind  carries  them  away. 

Among  Barba'ika's  admirers  was  a  good,  honest, 

hard-working  fellow,  who  had  long  been  a  laborer 

on  her  father's  farm.     He  was  as  rough  as  a  bear, 

and  as  ugly  as  a  pig,  but  he  loved  her  better  than 

all  the  world,  and  would  have  done  any  thing  in 

the  world  to  gain  her  affections.     Barbai'ka  could 

not  endure  poor  Jegu,  however,  and  the  best  name 

she  ever  gave  him  was  "  dog,"  "  wolf,"  "  unlicked 

cub,"  or  some  equally  insulting  title.     Indeed  she 

could  not  forgive  so  ugly  a  fellow  for  daring  to  be 

in  love  with  her,  and  she  treated  him  with  every 
112 


kind  of  indignity,  until  she  nearly  broke  his 
heart. 

One  day  as  he  was  leading  the  cattle  to  pasture, 
and  as  he  stopped  by  the  river  to  give  them  drink, 
he  was  standing  very  disconsolately  beside  them, 
thinking  over  all  his  troubles,  when  he  heard  a 
tiny  little  voice  saying : 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Jegu?  You 
seem  to  be  quite  in  despair." 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  exclaimed  the  young  man, 
raising  his  head,  and  looking  round. 

"  I  am  Tuez,  the  water-sprite,"  answered  the 
same  voice. 

"I  can't  see  you,"  replied  Jegu. 

"  Look  sharp,  and  you  will  see  me  in  the  form 
of  a  beautiful  green  frog,  sitting  in  the  midst  of 
the  rushes.  I  take  all  sorts  of  disguises  when  it 
suits  my  humor  to  be  visible." 

"  I  would  like  to  see  you  in  your  real  shape," 
said  the  matter-of-fact  Jegu. 

"  Just  as  you  please,  Master  Jegu ;  take  care  of 
your  head ;"  and  with  these  words  the  frog  leaped 

113 


over  the  ploughman,  and  alighted  on  the  back  of 
one  of  the  horses,  in  the  form  of  a  little  man,  in  a 
green  jacket,  with  black  leather  boots  on  his  feet, 
and  a  slouched  hat,  adorned  with  a  peacock's  fea- 
ther, on  his  head. 

Jegu  was  so  frightened,  that  he  jumped  at  least 
ten  feet  back,  and  fell  flat  on  his  back  in  the  mud ; 
but  the  fairy  only  laughed  at  him,  and  assured 
him  that  he  had  come  expressly  to  do  him  a  kind- 
ness. 

"  What  has  put  it  into  your  head  to  serve  me  ?" 
asked  Jegu,  who  had  no  great  faith  in  this  sudden 
fit  of  benevolence. 

"Because  you  did  me  a  service  last  winter," 
answered  the  water-sprite.  "  Don't  you  remem- 
ber," he  continued,  "  finding  a  robin  redbreast  in 
the  fowler's  net,  when  you  were  ploughing  the 
alder  field?" 

"  Oh,  yes ;  and  I  set  him  free,  for  little  John 
Eedthroat  is  a  good  little  bird,  and  never  steals 
corn,  like  the  rascally  crows." 

"  That  bird  was  no  other  than  myself,"  said  the 

114 


fairy ;  "  and  if  you  had  not  released  me,  I  should 
have  had  my  neck  twisted,  and  been  baked  in  a 
pie.  I  have  been  your  friend  ever  since  then,  and 
I  have  now  come  to  tell  you,  that  if  you  want  to 
marry  Barba'ika,  you  shall  do  so." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  little  friend,"  sighed  Jegu,  "  if 
you  could  insure  me  this,  I  would  deny  you  noth- 
ing, except  my  soul."     - 

"Poh!  poh!  what  should  I  want  with  a  soul 
like  yours  ?  I  will  not  demand  any  such  heavy 
price.  Only  leave  me  to  manage  matters,  and  in 
six  months  you  shall  be  the  husband  of  Barba'ika, 
and  master  of  the  farm.  But  you  had  better 
change  your  mind,  and  take  a  fancy  to  something 
else,  for  she  will  never  do  you  any  good." 

Jegu  rolled  up  his  eyes,  and  laid  his  hand  on 
his  heart,  with  an  air  of  such  devoted  constancy, 
that  the  fairy  saw  it  was  hopeless  to  persuade 
him. 

"How  will  you  accomplish  this  wonder?"  asked 
the  lovesick  ploughman. 

"  Ask  no  questions,  Jegu,  and  take  no  notice  of 


done  all  these  little  services  for  her,  in  order  to 
gratify  her.  She  therefore  spoke  to  him  with  great 
kindness,  and  thanked  him  for  his  good  offices ;  but 
Jegu  gave  her  a  rough  answer,  and  told  her  he  did 
not  know  what  she  was  talking  about.  For  seve- 
ral days  the  same  duties  were  performed  by  her 


any  thing  you  see.  You  have  nothing  to  do  but  to 
eat,  drink,  sleep,  and  smoke  your  pipe." 

Jegu  found  this  mighty  pleasant  counsel ;  so  tak- 
ing off  his  hat,  with  a  low  bow  to  the  little  green 
man,  he  thanked  him,  bade  him  farewell,  and  went 
home. 

The  next  morning  was  a  feast-day,  and  Bar- 
baika  rose  very  early  to  look  after  the  cattle,  as 
usual,  before  dressing  herself  for  the  gayeties  of  the 
day.  But  when  she  went  into  the  barn,  she  found 
that  some  one  had  strewn  new  litter  for  the  ani- 
mals, refilled  their  mangers,  milked  the  cows,  and 
churned  the  butter.  The  night  before  she  had  ex- 
pressed a  wish  to  get  through  her  work  very  early, 
so  as  to  be  in  time  for  the  morning  procession  in 
Morlaix,  and  she   now  concluded  that  Jegu  had 


unknown  assistant,  while  it  really  seemed  that  the 
barns  had  never  before  been  in  such  good  order,  nor 
the  cattle  so  well  kept. 

Every  morning  and  evening  Barbai'ka  found  her 
pans  full  of  milk,  nicely  strained,  and  a  pound  of 
fresh  butter,  newly  churned,  and  garnished  with 
sweet-brier  leaves,  set  upon  the  shelf  in  the  dairy. 
At  the  end  of  a  few  weeks,  she  had  fallen  into  the 
habit  of  lying  in  bed  till  broad  daylight,  because 
she  had  now  nothing  to  do  but  to  put  the  house  in 
order,  and  get  breakfast  for  the  family.  Even  this 
labor  was  soon  taken  off  her  hands,  for,  one  morn- 
ing, when  she  rose,  she  found  the  house  swept,  the 
furniture  nicely  waxed,  the  milk-broth  boiling  on 
the  fire,  and  the  bread  all  cut  up  on  the  dishes,  so 
that  she  had  nothing  to  do,  except  to  stand  in  the 
barn-door,  and  call  the  laborers  to  their  morning 
meal.  This  was  perfectly  delightful  to  Barbai'ka, 
who  dearly  loved  ease  and  pleasure.  She  was  sure 
that  nobody  but  Jegu  would  take  such"  pains  to 
please  her,  and  she  began  to  think  what  an  excel- 
lent husband  he  would  make. 


Indeed,  the  fair  damsel  soon  found  that  she  had 
only  to  express  a  wish  in  the  presence  of  Jegu,  and 
it  was  sure  to  be  gratified.  If  the  wind  was  too 
cold,  or  the  sun  too  hot,  and  she  was  afraid  of 
spoiling  her  complexion  by  going  to  the  spring,  she 
would  say  in  a  whisper  : 

"  I  should  like  to  see  my  churns  filled  with  clear 
spring  water,  my  pails  all  washed,  and  my  pots  of 
butter  covered  with  linen  dipped  in  the  running 
brook."  She  would  then  saunter  off  to  gossip  with 
a  neighbor,  and,  when  she  came  back,  she  always 
found  every  thing  as  she  had  wished.  If  she  found 
her  rye  bread  too  slow  in  raising,  or  the  oven  too 
slow  in  getting  hot,  she  would  say : 

"  I  should  like  to  see  six  great  loaves,  weighing 
each  fifteen  pounds,  ranged  on  the  shelf  in  the 
pantry."  Two  hours  afterwards  the  bread  would 
be  there.  If  she  took  a  fancy  that  the  journey  to 
market  was  too  tiresome,  she  would  say,  on  going 
to  bed : 

"I  wish  I  was  on  my  way  back  from  Morlaix, 
with  my  milk-pail  empty,  my  pot  of  butter  all  sold, 


a  pound  of  black  cherries  in  my  wooden  platter, 
and  six  gold  pieces  in  the  pocket  of  my  apron." 

In  the  morning  when  she  awoke,  the  first  thing 
she  would  see,  was  her  empty  milk-pail  and  butter- 
pot,  her  wooden  platter  full  of  black  cherries,  and 
the  six  gold  pieces  in  the  pocket  of  her  apron. 

But  these  were  not  all  the  services  she  received. 
If  she  wanted  to  me'et  some  young  friends  at  a 
dance,  or  to  have  a  new  ribbon  from  the*  city,  or  to 
find  out  when  a  procession  was  to  take  place,  she 
had  only  to  wish,  and  she  accomplished  every  thing. 
She  could  even  make  use  of  this  invisible  friend  to 
revenge  herself  on  those  she  disliked.  If  an  old 
gossip  had  found  fault  with  Barbaika's  laziness,  she 
had' only  to  wish  that  she  might  find  a  great  hole 
in  her  Sunday-cap,  or  burn  a  whole  batch  of  bread, 
or  leave  the  door  of  the  chicken-house  open  to  the 
weazel,  and  it  was  sure  to  happen.  Of  course, 
Barba'ika  felt  grateful  to  the  kind  friend  who  thus 
enabled  her  to  gratify  her  indolence,  her  love  of 
pleasure,  and  her  resentments.  She  was  persuaded 
that  Jegu  did  it  all,  notwithstanding  his  rude  de- 


nials,  when  she  talked  to  him  on  the  subject,  and 
she  began  to  think  that  a  man  who  could  be  at  the 
same  time  her  slave,  and  her  good  angel,  was  not 
to  be  despised. 

When  matters  had  arrived  at  this  crisis,  the 
fairy  advised  Jegu  to  ask  for  Barbai'ka  in  mar- 
riage. This  time  she  did  not  give  him  a  huffish 
answer,  or  laugh  in  his  face.  •  As  a  lover,  he  was 
shockingly  ugly  and  coarse,  but  he  bade  fair  to  be 
a  most  useful  husband.  If  she  married  him,  she 
saw  no  reason  why  she  should  not  sleep  till  sunrise, 
like  the  city-dames ;  and  wear  fine  clothes,  like  a 
lady  ;  and  stand  in  the  doorway,  with  her  arms 
crossed  over  her  apron,  gossiping  with  every  one 
that  came  by  ;  and  dance  at  all  the  festivals,  just 
as  she  did  at  that  time ;  for  Jegu  would  certainly 
attend  to  all  her  affairs.  She  fancied  that  he 
would  be  the  farmer's  horse,  dragging  the  wagon 
to  market,  while  she  might  play  the  farmer's  wife, 
and  sit  on  a  bundle  of  clover,  driving  him  along 
with  whip  and  voice. 

After  duly  deliberating  on  all  these  things,  she 
120 


replied,  as  a  well-behaved  maiden  should,  by  re- 
ferring him  to  her  father  ;  well  knowing  that  the 
old  farmer  desired  nothing  so  much  as  to  see  Jegu 
his  son-in-law.  The  end  of  it  all  was,  that,  as  the 
fairy  had  promised,  Jegu  married  Barbaika  ;  and 
in  less  than  six  months,  the  death  of  her  father  put 
him  in  possession  of  the  farm. 

Jegu  was  now  the  happiest  of  the  happy,  but  he 
would  have  found  the  farm  a  very  heavy  charge, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  assistance  of  the  good  water- 
sprite.  Little  Tuez  became  head  ploughman,  and 
did  more  work  each  day  than  four  hired  laborers. 
He  kept  the  farming-tools  in  good  order,  repaired 
the  harness,  and  always  told  Jegu  when  to  plant 
his  grain,  and  on  what  days  it  would  be  ready  to 
reap.  If  Jegu  was  hurried  with  his  farm-work, 
the  fairy  sent  a  summons  to  his  friends,  and  pres- 
ently a  whole  troop  of  dwarfs,  clad  in  green,  and 
carrying  hoes,  and  pitchforks,  and  spades,  would 
swarm  into  the  barn-yard,  ready  to  help  in  any 
thing.  If  the  farmer  had  need  of  more  cattle,  he 
had  only  to  go  to  the  fairy-dell,  and  say  :  "  My 

121 


little  friends,  lend  me  a  yoke  of  oxen,  or  a  span  of 
horses,"  and  by  the  time  he  got  home,  he  found 
them  standing,  all  harnessed,  in  the  barn-yard.  All 
that  the  fairy  required  in  return  for  these  labors, 
was  a  little  porringer  of  milk'-pap,  which  was  set  for 
him  every  night,  upon  the  shelf,  in  the  dairy  ;  and 
Jegu,  who  liked  to  be  served  at  a  cheap  rate,  loved 
him  as  if  he  had  been  his  own  son. 

Barbaika,  on  the  contrary,  hated  him  most 
heartily ;  and  not  without  cause.  The  morning 
after  her  marriage,  she  rose  late,  as  usual,  expect- 
ing to  find  every  thing  prepared  for  her,  as  Jegu 
had  been  up  with  the  sun  ;  but  what  was  her 
amazement,  when  she  found  that  nothing  was 
done.  Instead  of  finding  the  broth  warm,  and  the 
bread  cut,  she  found  that  she  must  begin  by  clear- 
ing up  the  barn,  feeding  the  cattle,  milking  the 
cows,  churning  the  butter,  sweeping  the  house, 
baking  the  bread,  and  attending  to  all  those  dis- 
agreeable affairs  which  she  thought  she  had  es- 
caped. As  she  had  married  Jegu  only  to  make 
him  a  useful  drudge,  she  complained  bitterly  of  his 


neglect,  when  he  came  in  to  breakfast.  He  re- 
torted, by  giving  her  a  severe  scolding  for  being  so 
late  with  her  morning  duties ;  and.  they  had.  a  great 
quarrel,  which  would  have  ended  in  her  getting  a 
beating  from  the  goodman  of  the  house,  if  they 
had.  been  married  a  little  longer.  In  the  midst  of 
the  turmoil,  the  fairy,  who  had  witnessed  the  whole 
matter  from  behind  the  door,  burst  into  a  loud 
laugh,  and  told  her  that  she  had  been  indebted  to 
him,  and  not  to  Jegu,  for  all  her  past  assistance ; 
but  as  he  had  now  accomplished  the  marriage,  she 
might  hereafter  do  her  own  work,  like  all  other 
good  wives.  Of  course,  Barbaika  was  terribly 
enraged,  and  treasured  up  a  bitter  hatred  of  the 
water-sprite.  Every  morning  when  she  was  ob- 
liged to  rise  before  day,  to  milk  the  cows,  and 
every  night  when  she  was  kept  out  of  bed  till  mid- 
night, to  churn  the  butter  for  market,  she  vowed 
vengeance  on  the  malicious  fairy.  But  whenever 
she  looked  at  Jegu's  fat,  red  face,  squinting  eyes, 
and  rough  head,  she  was  ready  to  tear  her  own 
eyes  out  for  very  spite.     She  thought  of  the  fine 


young  beaux,  who  used  to  come  round  her,  with 
then  hats  full  of  flowers,  or  cherries,  or  nuts,  ac- 
cording to  the  season,  which  they  offered,  with  the 
most  flattering  speeches  in  the  world,  to  the  pretti- 
est girl  hi  the  parish.  She  remembered  the  gay 
times  she  used  to  have  at  the  balls,  where  her  dan- 
cing was  the  admiration  of  every  one  ;  and  the 
thought  of  working  now  like  a  slave,  for  her  awk- 
ward lout  of  a  husband,  almost  drove  her  mad. 

One  day  she  had  been  invited  to  a  wedding  in 
Morlaix ;  but  the  old  mare  had  fallen  lame,  and 
there  was  no  other  horse  on  the  farm,  which  would 
bear  a  pillion.  So,  rather  than  lose  the  festivity, 
she  applied  to  the  fairy  to  provide  her  with  a  con- 
veyance. He  sent  her  to  the  fairy-dell,  and  told 
her  to  be  careful  to  explain  exactly  what  she 
wanted.  Accordingly,  she  went,  and  requested 
"  A  black  horse,  with  eyes,  and  mouth,  and  ears, 
and  all  saddled  and  bridled  ;"  thinking  she  had 
mentioned  all  the  necessary  points  ha  her  demand. 
When  she  returned  home,  she  found  the  black 
horse  standing  in  the  farm-yard,  and  as  she  was 

124 


ready  dressed,  she  mounted  him,  and  set  off  for 
Morlaix.  But  she  soon  discovered  that  something 
was  wrong ;  for  every  one  laughed  as  she  passed 
by,  and  at  last  one  person  called  out : 

"  See  !  see  !  The  farmer's  wife  has  sold  her 
horse's  tail,  to  pay  for  her  embroidered  pillion." 

Barbaika  turned  quickly  round,  and  then,  for 
the  first  time,  saw  that  her  horse  had  not  even  the 
stump  of  a  tail ; — she  had  forgotten  to  ask  for  a 
tail,  and  the  mischievous  little  fairies  had  given 
her  exactly  what  she  demanded,  but  no  more. 
She  was  very  much  provoked,  and  tried  to  urge 
her  horse  faster  ;  but  he  would  not  move  except 
at  his  usual  pace  ;  so  she  was  obliged  to  listen 
to  all  the  jokes  of  the  wayfarers.  She  was  now 
more  angry  than  ever  with  little  Tuez,  for  she  be- 
lieved he  had  contrived  this  new  mortification  for 
her ;  and  she  resolved,  sooner  or  later,  to  be  re- 
venged. 

The  commencement  of  spring  is  always  held  as 
a  great  festival  among  the  fairies ;  and  when  the 
season  arrived,  little  Tuez  requested  that  his  servi- 

125 


^rftasMs^ss^ffigba: 


ces  during  the  winter  might  be  rewarded,  by  per- 
mitting him  to  invite  his  friends  to  pass  the  night 
in  Jegu's  barn,  where  he  wished  to  entertain  them 
with  a  ball  and  a  supper.  His  master  not  only  con- 
sented to  the  fairy's  wishes,  but  also  ordered  Bar- 
ba'ika  to  set  out  tables  in  the  barn,  to  spread  her 
finest  fringed  napkins  upon  them,  and  to  set  out  a 
whole  baking  of  bread,  cut  into  slices,  with  plenty 
of  butter,  flagons'  full  of  fresh  milk,  and  as  many 
wheat  pancakes  as  she  could  bake  in  a  day.  To 
Jegu's  great  surprise,  Barbaika  made  no  objections 
to  his  commands.  She  made  the  pancakes,  filled 
the  flagons,  cut  the  bread  and  butter,  and  when  it 
was  evening,  she  set  out  the  tables  in  the  barn,  as 
her  husband  had  directed ;  but  before  she  left  the 
barn,  she  strewed,  all  around  the  tables,  the  hot 
cinders  she  had  just  taken  from  the  oven. 

Little  Tuez  received  his  guests  with  great  hos- 
pitality ;  and  after  dancing  till  they  were  tired,  he 
led  them  to  the  tables,  to  partake  of  the  fine  feast 
which  was  prepared  for  them.  But  scarcely  had 
they  approached,  when  they  all  uttered  a  frightful 


cry,  and  ran  out  of  the  barn,  for  they  were  burned 
almost  to  the  bone,  with  Barbaika's  hot  cinders. 
Not  to  lose  the  feast,  however,  they  returned  with 
buckets  of  water,  and  after  extinguishing  the  fire, 
they  made  an  end  of  all  the  provisions.  Then, 
joining  hands,  they  formed  a  ring  around  the  farm- 
house, singing : — 

Barkaika  the  shrew, 

The  bad  wife  of Jegu, 

By  her  wicked  deceit 

Burned  our  poor  little  feet, 

So  no  more  may  we  dwell 

In  the  green  fairy-dell ; 
But  we  leave  our  black  ban  on  the  barn  and  the  dairy, 
And  we  leave  Barbaika  the  curse  of  the  fairy. 


From  that  day,  the  fairies  were  never  seen  in 
that  part  of  the  country,  and  Jegu,  having  lost  his 
best  friend,  found  himself  unable  to  manage  his 
farm.  Tuez  never  appeared  to  him ;  but  often, 
when  he  was  in  distress  of  mind,  he  fancied  he 
heard  a  scornful  laugh,  which  sounded  like  that  of 
the  water-sprite;   and   once  when  he  went  to  the 

127 


river,  half  determined  to  throw  himself  in,  he  saw 
a  great  green  frog  among  the  rushes,  who  was 
grinning  with  such  manifest  glee,  that  Jegu  turned 
back  in  a  rage  at  the  creature's  insolence.  The 
poor  farmer  finally  fell  into  great  trouble,  and  died 
broken-hearted ;  while  Barbaika,  who  had  now 
grown  ugly  from  care  and  hard  work,  was  glad  to 
make  a  living  as  a  market-woman. 

Fairies  are  scarcer  now  in  all  parts  of  the  world, 
but  I  have  heard  industrious  persons  say,  that 
every  good  workman  has  ten  good  fairies  in  his 
employ,  if  he  knows  how  to  use  his  ten  fingers. 


123 


■^r'--~  ^^^,^^-^~^t~=^^^^-^'  r.^r-r-.  — =s^^=^^z^^ it'"1?   tc^ 


AmgW=E5=?=ggsr-*=g£^ 


CHAPTER    VI. 

'OWEVER  amused  the  children 
had  been  by  the  story  of  Jegu, 
they  were  rather  sorry  that  the 
poor  fellow  should  come  to  want 
through  the  misconduct  of  the 
proud  and  lazy  Barbai'ka.  They 
were  not  disposed  to  waste  much 
time,  however,  in  criticizing  what 
they  had  already  heard,  when  they 
had  the  opportunity  of  listening  to  a 
new  story.  But  Grandfather  Waldorf,, 
who  was  desirous  that  they  should  dis- 
tinctly trace  the  fine  moral  which  pervades  the 
Breton  legends,  had  no  intention  of  suffering  them 
to  derive  mere  amusement,  without  imbibing  the 
instruction  also. 

129 


"It  is  not  necessary,"  he  would  say,  "that  a 
medicinal  potion  should  be  made  unpalatable  in 
order  to  do  good ;  but  we  must  not  swallow  the 
sugared  draught,  and  leave  the  physic  among  the 
lees  in  the  bottom  of  the  cup.  There  is  not  one  of 
the  fairy  legends  of  Brittany,  which  does  not  con- 
tain some  simple  practical  truth  beneath  its  gro- 
tesque and  often  ludicrous  circumstances.  A  peo- 
ple so  primitive  in  all  their  habits  of  life,  so 
credulous  in  their  faith,  and  with  so  little  educa- 
tion diffused  among  them,  must  always  remain 
like  children  in  some  points  of  character.  The 
tales  to  which  they  listen,  as  they  gather  around 
their  winter  fires,  are  only  illustrated  truths. 
They  are  like  pictures  of  their  daily  duties  and 
experience.  Of  the  usefulness  of  such  means  of 
imparting  instruction,  we  dare  not  doubt;  for, 
with  all  due  reverence,  I  would  point  to  the  exam- 
ple of  Him  who  '  spake  as  never  man  spake,'  and 
who  did  not  disdain  to  teach  his  disciples  by  means 
of  parables.  Sometimes  we  trace  in  these  wild 
tales  of  the  Bretons,  a  fact  in  history,  or  at  least  a 

130 


historical  tradition,  which  has  been  handed  down 
from  father  to  son,  from  so  remote  an  age,  that  we 
cannot  refuse  to  believe  it  must  have  had  its  origin 
in  some  actual  event.  Such,  for  instance,  as  the 
destruction  of  the  city  of  Is." 

"  Was  there  ever  such  a  city,  grandpapa  ?" 
asked  Wilhelm. 

"  On  the  western  coast  of  Brittany,  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  bay  of  Brest,  and  on  the  south  by 
the  bay  of  Douarnenez,  lies  the  peninsula  of  Cro- 
zon,  filled  with  Druidical  remains,  which  at  some 
future  time  I  may  perhaps  describe  to  you.  The 
bay  of  Douarnenez  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of  the 
city  of  Is,  which  was  so  magnificent,  that  the  Bre- 
tons generally  believe  Paris,  the  great  capital  of 
France,  to  have  received  its  name  in  honor  of  the 
submerged  city,  and  to  be  '  Par-IsJ  or  equal  to  Is. 
Indeed,  they  have  a  proverb,  which  says  : 

'  Since  the  high  towers  of  Is  have  been  sunk  in  the  sea, 
Earth  holds  not  its  equal,  except  in  Paris.' 

The  play  upon  the  names  of  the  two  cities  is  quite 


>4fc3^5E 


=^=,5=^^= 


untranslatable ;  and  in  order  to  make  the  rhyme, 
the  French  pronunciation  must  be  given  to  the  last 
word.  There  seems  to  be  little  doubt  that  a  large 
city  once  occupied  a  place  somewhere  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  spot  where  tradition  places  Is,  or 
rather  Keris,  as  it  was  called,  the  word  '  Kerf  in 
the  Breton  dialect,  signifying  city." 

"But  if  such  a  city  had  ever  existed,  would 
there  not  be  some  traces  of  it  still  found  ?"  asked 
Edith. 

"  In  the  island  of  Tristan,  in  the  bay  of  Douar- 
nenez,  are  found  large  masses  of  stone,  from  three 
to  four  feet  thick,  evidently  the  remains  of  build- 
ings of  great  antiquity.  These  are  not  solid,  but 
composed  of  pieces  of  granite  five  or  six  inches 
square,  cemented  together  with  a  kind  of  mortar. 
The  neighborhood  of  the  bay  is  filled  with  remains 
of  heavy  masonry;  and  bricks,  eighteen  inches  in 
length,  by  fifteen  in  width,  have  been  found  there 
at  the  depth  of  six  feet  under  ground.  Indeed,  I 
remember  hearing  that  at  a  distance  of  twenty  feet 
from  the  water  line,  and  lying  under  some  fifteen 


132 


-rgs^b? 


feet  of  earth,  a  fine  tessellated  or  inlaid  pavement 
had  been  discovered.  These  remains  seem  to  prove 
the  existence  of  an  old  city,  which  was  probably  a 
Roman  colony.  If  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  re- 
fer to  any  large  map  of  France,  you  will  see  the 
exact  position  which  '  Kens'  is  supposed  to  have 
occupied,  now  covered  by  the  waters  of  the  bay  I 
have  already  named.  The  imagination  of  the 
story-teller  has,  from  age  to  age,  embellished  the 
tradition  of  its  destruction,  until  it  has  now  become 
a  wild  and  fanciful  legend,  which  I  will  repeat  to 
you,  with  all  its  details,  as  I  once  heard  it  related 
in  a  Breton  cottage,  within  sound  of  the  moaning 
waters  of  the  bay,  and  almost  within  reach  of  the 
spray  thrown  up  by  the  driving  tempest." 

The  children  settled  themselves  in  an  attitude 
of  attention,  and  the  old  man  began  the  legend. 


133 


I 


] 


msas 


OR, 


THE   PRINCESS   OF   THE    GOLDEN   KEYS 


EARS    upon    years    ago,    there 
dwelt    in   CornouaiUe   a    power- 
ful  king,   named   Grallon.      He 
was    one    of    the   very   best   of 
monarchs,    and    his    court    was 
crowded  with    men    of    renown 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  who 
were   equally  weU  received  by  him, 
whether  they  were  rich  or  poor.     He 
was    rich,    and    mighty,    and    would 
have  been  one  of  the  happiest  sovereigns 
upon  earth,  if  he  had  not  been  rendered 
miserable  by  the  misconduct  of  his  only 
daughter  Dayuta,  who,  in  order  to  escape  from  his 

134 


counsels,  had  taken  up  her  abode  in  Keris,  some 
leagues  from  Quimper,  where  the  king  held  his 
court. 

One  day,  when  King  Grallon  was  hunting,  with 
his  attendants,  in  the  forest  which  stretches  along 
the  base  of  Menehour,  he  lost  his  way,  and  wan- 
dered on  until  he  arrived  at  the  hermitage  of  a  holy 
anchorite,  named  Corentin.  Grallon  had  heard  of 
this  good  man,  who  was  said  to  be  skilled  in  all 
kinds  of  wisdom,  and  to  be  also  a  great  magician, 
though  his  piety  kept  him  from  using  his  knowl- 
edge, except  for  the  benefit  of  mankind.  The  king 
was  not  sorry,  therefore,  to  have  discovered  his 
abode ;  but  the  attendants,  who  were  half  dead 
with  hunger,  looked  disdainfully  round,  and  mut- 
tered something  about  the  difficulty  of  making  a 
supper  out  of  prayers  and  learned  books. 

Corentin,  who  could  read  their  thoughts,  asked 
the  king  if  he  would  condescend  to  accept  of  a  re- 
past in  so  poor  a  place ;  and  Grallon  replied  that  he 
would  gladly  do  so,  as  he  had  tasted  nothing  since 
the  early  cock-crowing.     The  holy  man  then  called 

135 


the  cupbearer  and  the  cook,  to  assist  in  preparing 
the  king's  supper.  He  led  them  to  a  spring  of 
clear  water,  which  flowed  from  a  rock  beside  his 
hermitage,  and  after  rilling  the  king's  golden  cup 
with  water,'  he  cut  a  small  piece  out  of  a  little 
fish  which  was  swimming  in  the  brook,  and  told  the 
two  attendants  to  set  out  a  table  for  the  king  and 
his  suite.  But  the  cook  and  the  cupbearer  burst 
into  a  loud  laugh,  and  asked  him  if  he  did  not 
know  the  difference  between  courtiers  and  beggars, 
when  he  thus  ventured  to  offer  them  scraps  of  fish 
and  frog-wine.  Corentin  quietly  repeated  his  or- 
ders, and  the  king  compelled  them  to  obey. 

Accordingly,  the  cook  prepared  the  morsel  of 
fish ;  but  when  he  came  to  take  it  out  of  the  pan, 
he  found  it  changed  into  dozens  and  dozens  of  the 
most  delicious  little  fish,  all  nicely  fried  in  melted 
butter ;  while  the  cupbearer,  finding  the  king's 
golden  goblet  began  to  overflow,  called  for  pitchers 
and  bowls,  into  which  he  poured  the  frog-wine, 
now  transformed  into  a  drink  sweeter  than  honey, 
and  stronger  than  fire.     The  whole  party  made  an 

136 


excellent  supper,  and  Grallon,  being  informed  of 
the  magical  repast  he  had  shared,  went  to  the 
spring,  where,  to  his  further  astonishment,  he  per- 
ceived the  little  fish  swimming  about,  as  lively, 
and  as  entire  as  if  Corentin  had  not  just  before  cut 
off  half  his  body. 

The  king,  charmed  with  the  skill  of  the  wise 
Corentin,  insisted  on  taking  him  to  his  capital, 
arid  offered  to  make  him  governor  of  the  city,  if  he 
would  leave  his  retreat  in  the  forest.  The  good 
man  at  last  consented  to  follow  the  king,  who  took 
the  holy  man  to  Quimpsr,  and  made  him  governor 
of  the  city,  as  he  had  promised  ;  while,  in  order 
not  to  interfere  with  Corentin's  orders,  Grallon 
went  to  reside  at  Keris,  where  his  daughter  still 
dwelt. 

Keris  was  the  most  magnificent  city  in  the 
world ;  but  it  was  built  on  a  table  of  land,  which, 
instead  of  lying  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  was  far 
lower,  and  was  only  preserved  from  an  overflow  of 
its  waters,  by  dikes  and  sluices,  the  gates  of  which 
were  opened  at  certain  times,  to  admit  the  ebb  and 


flow  of  the  tides.  These  gates  were  wrought  of 
solid  iron,  covered  with  thick  silver  plates ;  and  the 
keys  by  which  they  were  opened  and  closed,  were 
of  gold,  set  with  rich  jewels.  The  Princess  Day- 
uta, the  daughter  of  Grallon,  wore  these  keys  sus- 
pended from  her  neck  by  a  diamond  chain,  and  she 
was,  therefore,  known  as  the  Princess  with  the 
golden  keys.  As  she  was  a  powerful  enchantress, 
she  had  embellished  the  city  with  all  kinds  of  won- 
derful works.  All  the  Korigans  of  the  country 
had  been  collected  by  her  orders,  to  construct  the 
dikes,  and  forge  the  gates.  They  had  also  covered 
the  palace  with  a  metal  resembling  gold,  and  sur- 
rounded its  superb  gardens  with  a  balustrade  of 
polished  steel.  They  had  built  great  stables  for 
Dayuta,  and  paved  them  with  red,  white,  and 
black  marble,  to  suit  the  color  of  the  horses ;  and 
they  kept  guard  over  the  harbor,  where  were  im- 
prisoned the  sea-dragons,  whom  Dayuta  had  tamed. 
These  monstrous  animals  were  used  as  horses  by 
the  inhabitants  of  Keris,  who  would  mount  upon 
their  backs,  and  ride  over  the  most  tempestuous 


waves,  in  search  of  shipwrecked  treasures,  which 
were  so  plentiful  that  the  people  became  enor- 
mously rich ;  so  much  so,  that  they  are  said  to 
have  measured  their  grain  in  silver  bushels. 

But  riches  had  made  them  cruel  and  wicked. 
They  chased  all  beggars  out  of  the  country,  as  if 
they  had  been  wild  beasts,  and  their  piety  was  no 
greater  than  their  charity ;  for  there  was  but  one 
church  in  the  place,  and  that  was  so  utterly  dilap- 
idated, that  the  key  was  lost ;  nettles  grew  upon 
the  threshold,  and  swallows  made  their  nests  in  the 
joints  of  the  door-posts.  The  people  spent  all  their 
time,  day  and  night,  in  taverns,  drinking,  dancing, 
and  singing,  as  if  they  were  determined  to  know 
nothing  but  wickedness. 

Dayuta  set  them  an  example  of  every  thing  that 
was  evil.  There  was  a  perpetual  feast  in  her 
palace,  and  every  day  strangers  arrived  from  all 
quarters  of  the  globe,  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  her 
luxurious  court.  If  she  happened  to  take  a  par- 
ticular fancy  for  any  of  her  visitors,  she  gave  them 
a  magic  mask  which  rendered  them  invisible,  and 

139 


enabled  her  to  transport  them  to  a  lofty  tower, 
built  in  the  midst  of  the  Island  of  Vain  Delights. 
Here  she  would  detain  them  in  a  luxurious  prison, 
until  she  was  tired  of  their  company ;  when  she 
would  again  lend  them  the  magic  mask,  as  if  to 
facilitate  their  departure  ;  but  upon  this  occasion, 
the  mask  would  contract  itself,  and  strangle  the 
wearer.  A  gigantic  black  man  would  then  dispose 
of  the  bodies,  by  casting  them  from  a  precipice 
into  the  sea. 

Corentin,  the  good  Governor  of  Quimper,  who 
knew  all  these  things,  had  several  times  warned 
Grallon  that  some  frightful  calamity  would  befall 
his  wicked  people ;  but  the  king  had  lost  much  of 
his  power,  since  he  had  grown  old,  and  lived  al- 
most alone  in  one  of  the  wings  of  his  palace,  while 
Dayuta  ruled  the  country  at  her  own  pleasure. 

One  night,  when  she  was  holding  a  great  ban- 
quet, a  powerful  prince  was  announced,  who  had 
come  from  the  world's  end  to  see  her.  He  was  a 
man  of  lofty  stature,  clad  in  crimson  velvet,  and 
with  so  thick  a  beard,   that  nothing  of  his  face 

140 


could  be  seen  excepting  his  eyes,  which  glittered 
like  stars  on  a  frosty  night.  He  addressed  the 
princess  in  verses  so  well  turned  and  elegant,  that 
no  poet  in  Brittany  could  equal  them  ;  and  he  con- 
versed with  a  spirit  and  eloquence  which  amazed 
all  who  listened  to  him. 

But  what  particularly  struck  Dayuta  and  her 
friends,  was  the  skill  and  adroitness  which  the 
stranger  showed  in  inventing  new  methods  of  com- 
mitting sin.  He  seemed  to  be  acquainted  with  all 
the  wickedness  in  the  world ;  and  nothing  made 
him  happier  than  to  find  an  opportunity  for  im- 
parting his  knowledge.  On  one  occasion,  Prince 
Barbu,  or  the  Prince  with  the  beard,  as  he  was 
called,  proposed  a  new  kind  of  dance,  which  he  un- 
dertook to  teach  the  courtiers ;  and  for  this  pur- 
pose, he  brought  into  the  hall  a  musician,  who 
was  one  of  his  own  suite  of  attendants.  He  was 
an  ugly  little  dwarf,  dressed  in  the  skin  of  a  black 
goat,  and  carried  his  immense  bagpipes  under  his 
arm.  But  scarcely  had  he  sounded  a  note,  when 
Dayuta  and  all  her  people  were  seized  with  a  sort 

141 


of  frenzy,  and  began  to  spin  round  like  waves  of 
the  sea  in  a  whirlwind.  Prince  Barbu  took  advan- 
tage of  this  to  rob  the  princess  of  her  golden  keys, 
with  which  he  escaped  before  she  was  aware  of  her 
loss. 

During  all  this  time  King  Grallon  was  alone  in 
his  distant  palace,  sitting  by  the  ashes  of  a  half 
extinguished  fire,  in  a  dark  and  melancholy  room. 
He  was  overcome  with  sadness  for  the  evil  condi- 
tion of  his  people,  when  suddenly  the  door  opened, 
and  Corentin  entered. 

"  Rise,  King  Grallon,"  exclaimed  he  ;  "  the  hour 
is  come,  and  Keris  must  be  blotted  out  from  the 
earth.  Take  your  most  precious  treasures,  and  fly 
swiftly  away." 

Grallon,  terrified  at  these  tidings,  called  an 
old  servant,  and  having  collected  some  treasures, 
mounted  his  black  horse,  and  followed  the  holy 
man,  who  floated  on  before  him,  like  a  feather  in 
the  air.  Just  as  he  was  passing  the  dike,  he 
heard  a  great  roaring  of  the  waves,  and  beheld 
Prince  Barbu,  busily  employed  in  opening  all  the 


sluices,  with  the  golden  keys  which  he  had  stolen 
from  the  princess.  The  sea  immediately  poured 
down  upon  the  city  in  great  torrents,  and  the 
waves  lifted  their  white  tops  almost  to  the  roofs  of 
the  houses,  while  the  sea-dragons,  who  could  not 
break  their  chains,  uttered  the  most  frightful  cries. 
Grallon  wished  to  give  the  people  some  notice  of 
the  terrible  calamity,  but  Corentin  forbade  him  ; 
and  he  galloped  on  along  the  sea-shore.  His  horse 
carried  him  over  streets,  and  squares,  and  by-roads, 
pursued  by  the  waves,  and  with  his  hind  feet  al- 
ways in  the  water.  He  was  passing  the  palace  of 
Dayuta,  when  suddenly  she  rushed  out  of  the  gate, 
with  her  hair  all  dishevelled,  and  in  great  terror, 
sprang  upon  the  horse,  behind  her  father.  But  the 
horse  reared,  stumbled,  and  slipped  so,  that  the 
king  found  the  water  reaching  above  his  knees. 
He  called  to  Corentin  for  help,  but  the  old  man  re- 
plied : 

"  Fling  off  the  sin  which  you  carry  at  your 
back." 

Grallon   hesitated   to   give    his    only   daughter 

143 


a  prey  to  the  waters ;  but  Corentin  struck  her 
with  his  staff,  and  she  fell  into  the  midst  of  the 
waves.  The  horse  now  sprang  forward,  and 
reached  the  rock  of  Garric,  where  the  marks  of  his 
iron  hoofs  may  be  seen  at  this  day. 

The  king  returned  to  Keris  on  the  same  evening, 
to  see  if  any  thing  had  been  rescued  from  destruc- 
tion ;  but  to  his  astonishment,  not  a  trace  remained 
of  the  stately  Queen  of  the  Waters.  Where  but 
yesterday  palaces  and  towers  had  reared  their  lofty 
heads,  now  extended  a  waste  of  waters,  reflecting 
only  the  quiet  stars  ;  while  far  off,  on  the  edge 
of  the  horizon,  the  crimson  garments  of  Prince 
Barbu  floated  on  the  breeze,  as,  standing  on  the 
broken  fragments  of  the  dike,  he  held  up  the 
golden  keys,  with  a  gesture  of  derision  and  con- 
tempt. 

Since  that  time,  many  forests  of  oak  trees  have 
sprung  up,  and  withered  away  ;  but  the  story  of 
Keris  has  never  been  forgotten.  On  a  calm  even- 
ing, when  the  setting  sun  shines  aslant  upon  the 
waters,  the  ruins   of  temples   and  palaces,    may 

144 


sometimes  be  seen,  lying  far  down  in  the  depths  of 
the  sea,  where  line  or  plummet  have  never  de- 
scended. 


I 


CHAPTER    VII. 

HE  hour  of  sunset  was  always 
welcomed  with  joy  by  the  young 
Waldorfs,  for  grandpapa  was  sure 
then  to  lay  aside  his  books,  push 
away  his  inkstand,  and  taking 
off  his  spectacles,  walk  out  on 
the  piazza,  where  the  happy  children 
were  equally  certain  to  be  waiting  for 
him.  On  the  present  evening,  there 
had  been  a  heavy  thunder-storm,  and  the 
sun  burst  through  the  clouds  just  as  he 
reached  the  verge  of  the  horizon.  The 
scene  was  one  of  exceeding  beauty.  Every  leaf, 
every  blade  of  grass,  glittered  with  a  rain-drop, 
which  the  sunbeam  had  converted  into  a  sparkling 
emerald.     The  lawn  seemed  ^aved  with  jewels,  and 

146 


the  trees  appeared  laden  with  fruit  from  Aladin's 
enchanted  garden ;  while  the  richly-tinted  clouds 
of  purple  and  gold  hung  over  all,  like  the  draperies 
of  some  regal  canopy.  The  wonderful  magnifi- 
cence of  the  evening  seemed  to  fill  the  imaginations 
of  all  those  who  beheld  it ;  and  it  was  not  until 
the  glorious  hues  of  sunset  had  faded  into  the  gray 
of  twilight,  that  the  children  seated  themselves  to 
hear  another  of  the  Breton  legends. 


■1 


IP  IB  IB  ©HEME,  MH   MM  ©IP 


THE  GOLDEN  BASIN  AND   THE  DIAMOND  LANCE. 


/•i  POOR  idiot,  whose  name  was 
Peronnik,  who  had  neither  fa- 
ther   nor    mother,    brother    nor 
sister,  but  owed  every  thing  to 
the   charity  of  strangers,    once 
lived  in  Brittany.     He  wandered 
about  as  he  pleased.     If  he  was 
thirsty,  he  drank  at  the  brook ;  if  he 
was  hungry,  he  begged  some  crusts 
from  the   farmer's  wife ;    if  he   was 
sleepy,  he  found  a  bundle  of  straw,  an'd 
crept   into    it,    like    a   lizard.      As    for 
clothes,  he  was  not  so  badly  off  as  many 
of  his  tribe ;  for  his  cloth  breeches  only  wanted  part 

148 


=^Er^p 


5^r3»3 


of  a  leg ;  his  jacket  had  one  whole  sleeve,  though 
the  other  was  missing ;  and  his  hat  had  lost  nothing 
but  the  crown.  As  to  his  occupation,  poor  Peron- 
nik had  never  learned  a  trade,  but  he  was  not 
without  some  skill  in  his  own  way.  He  could  eat 
as  much,  and  sleep  as  long  as  any  one  in  the  par- 
ish, besides  being  able  to  imitate  the  song  of  the 
lark  so  perfectly,  as  almost  to  deceive  the  birds 
themselves. 

One  day  Peronnik  came  to  a  farm-house  which 
stood  on  the  borders  of  the  forest  of  Paimpont,  and 
as  the  dinner  hour  had  been  striking  for  some  time, 
in  his  stomach,  he  went  to  the  door  to  ask  for  some 
food.  The  farmer's  wife  was,  at  that  moment, 
kneeling  on  the  door-sill,  cleaning  out  her  saucepan 
with  a  piece  of  flint ;  but  when  she  heard  the 
voice  of  the  idiot,  she  stopped,  and  offered  him  the 
pot ;  at  the  same  time  telling  him,  that  if  the 
pigs  had  thrived,  she  would  have  been  able  to 
have  given  him  something  better  than  scrapings. 
Peronnik  sat  down  on  the  ground,  and  taking  the 
saucepan  between  his   knees,   began   to   dig   and 


scrape  with  his  nails,  but  could  only  find  a  mere 
taste,  for  all  the  spoons  in  the  house  had  already 
been  into  it.  Notwithstanding  this  he  licked  his 
fingers,  and  gave  a  grunt  of  satisfaction,  as  if  he 
had  never  eaten  any  thing  half  so  good. 

"It  is  made  of  millet-flour,"  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice  ;  "of  the  best  of  millet-flour,  moistened  with 
the  milk  of  a  black  cow,  and  boiled  by  the  best 
cook  in  the  country." 

The  farmer's  wife,  who  listened  to  him  from  be- 
hind the  door,  was  quite  flattered.  "  Poor  inno- 
cent," said  she,  "  there  is  very  little  left  for  you ; 
but  I  will  find  a  piece  of  rye  bread  to  satisfy  your 
hunger." 

She  then  brought  him  the  first  cut  of  a  loaf,  just 
taken  from  the  oven,  which  he  pounced  upon,  as  a 
wolf  would  sei2e  a  lamb,  crying  that  nobody  but 
the  king's  baker  could  make  such  delicious  bread. 
The  woman,  who  began  to  be  puffed  up  with  his 
praises,  told  him  it  would  taste  like  quite  another 
thing,  if  he  should  eat  it  with  some  fresh-churned 
butter  ;  and  immediately  brought  him  a  little  dish 

150 


of  fresh  butter,  which  Peronnik  liked  so  well,  that 
he  spread  it  all  upon  his  slice  of  bread,  declaring 
that  it  was  as  sweet  as  a  June  honeysuckle.  This 
piece  of  flattery  obtained  for  him  a  piece  of  bacon, 
the  remains  of  a  Sunday  dinner ;  and  Peronnik, 
who  devoured  every  thing  set  before  him,  declared, 
with  truth,  that  it  was  a  very  long  time  since  he 
had  made  such  a  grand  feast. 

While  he  was  yet  licking  his  lips,  in  the  door- 
way, an  armed  cavalier  rode  up  to  the  gate,  and 
addressing  the  farmer's  wife,  inquired  the  road  to 
the  Castle  of  Kerglas. 

"  My  noble  lord,  I  hope  you  are  not  going  -that 
way,"  said  the  woman. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  knight ;  "  I  have  come 
from  a  country  so  far  off,  that  I  have  travelled 
three  months,  night  and  day,  to  reach  the  Castle  of 
Kerglas. 

"  What  do  you  expect  to  do  there  ?"  asked  the 
good  peasant. 

"  I  am  seeking  for  the  basin  of  gold,  and  the 
diamond  lance." 

151 


"  Are  they  such  wonderful  affairs  ?"  asked  Pe- 
ronnik. 

"  They  are  worth  more  than  all  the  crowns  in 
the  world,"  replied  the  stranger;  "for  not  only 
will  the  golden  basin  produce,  in  a  moment,  all 
the  food  and  money  one  may  want ;  but  if  a 
wounded  man  drinks  out  of  it,  he  will  be  instantly 
cured ;  and  if  it  is  put  to  the  lips  of  a  soldier 
newly  killed,  he  will  wake  up  in  perfect  health. 
As  for  the  diamond  lance,  it  kills  and  destroys 
every  thing  it  touches." 

"  Who  owns  the  golden  basin,  and  the  diamond 
lance  ?"  asked  the  idiot. 

"  They  belong  to  a  magician,  named  Rogear, 
who  lives  in  the  Castle  of  Kerglas,"  answered  the 
woman.  "  He  may  be  seen  every  day,  riding  along 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  mounted  on  a  black  mare, 
which  is  always  followed  by  a  young  foal ;  but  no 
one  would  venture  to  attack  him,  because  he  car- 
ries in  his  hand  the  diamond  lance." 

"  He  is  under  a  spell,  and  cannot  make  use  of 
his  lance  in   his  own  castle,"  said  the  stranger ; 


"  when  he  arrives  there,  the  golden  basin  and  the 
diamond  lance  age  placed  in  a  deep  vault,  which 
no  key  can  open ;  and,  therefore,  I  mean  to  attack 
him  in  Kerglas." 

"  Alas  !  my  good  sir,  you  will  not  succeed,"  said 
the  woman.  "  More  than  an  hundred  gentlemen 
have  tried  the  adventure  before  you,  and  not  one 
has  ever  returned." 

"  I  know  all  about  that,  my  good  woman,"  re- 
plied the  knight ;  "  but  they,  had  not  received  such 
instructions  as  I  have  done,  from  the  hermit  of 
Blavet." 

"  What  did  the  hermit  of  Blavet  tell  you  ?" 
asked  Peronnik. 

"  He  informed  me  of  every  thing  I  should  have 
to  encounter.  First,  I  must  traverse  the  Forest  of 
Enchantments,  where  every  thing  will  be  done  to 
bewilder  me.  The  most  of  those  who  have  pre- 
ceded me,  have  perished  there  from  cold,  hunger, 
and  fatigue." 

"Well,  when  you  pass  that  forest,  what  then?" 

"  When  I  pass  that,  I  shall  encounter  a  korigan, 


153 


armed  with  a  fiery  sword,  which  burns  to  ashes 
every  thing  it  touches.  This  fellow  keeps  guard 
over  an  apple-tree,  from  which  I  must  pluck  an 
apple." 

"  What  then  ?" 

"  Then  I  must  gather  the  laughing  flower, 
which  is  protected  by  a  lion,  whose  mane  is  formed 
of  living  vipers.  After  this,  I  must  cross  the  Lake 
of  Dragons.  I  shall  then  meet  with  a  blacka- 
moor, armed  with  an  iron  ball,  which  always 
reaches  its  aim,  and  then  returns  to  its  master. 
When  I  pass  him,  I  shall  enter  the  Valley  of  False 
Delights,  where  are  all  manner  of  temptations  ; 
and  I  shall  then  reach  a  river  which  has  but  one 
ford.  There  I  shall  find  a  woman  clad  in  black 
garments,  whom  I  shall  take  up  behind  me,  and 
she  will  direct  me  what  to  do." 

The  farmer's  wife  tried  to  persuade  the  stranger 
that  he  could  not  endure  all  these  hardships ;  but 
he  told  her  it  was  not  a  woman's  affair  ;  and  after 
receiving  directions  about  the  road  through  the 
forest,  urged  his  horse  into  a  gallop,  and  soon  dis- 

154 


appeared  among  the  trees.  The  woman  heaved  a 
deep  sigh,  and  declared  he  was  no  better  than  a 
dead  man,  already ;  then  giving  Peronnik  some 
crusts,  she  bade  him  go  on  his  way.  He  was 
about  to  obey  her,  when  the  farmer  came  home, 
and  seeing  Peronnik,  thought  he  could  make  some 
use  of  him ;  so,  he  asked  him  whether  he  would 
like  to  stay  there  and  watch  the  cattle.  Peronnik 
would  have  preferred  staying  and  taking  care  only 
of  himself ;  for  he  had  an  especial  talent  for  doing 
nothing ;  but  he  had  yet  upon  his  lips  the  taste  of 
the  bacon,  the  fresh  butter,  the  rye  bread,  and  the 
millet-broth  ;  so  he  yielded  to  temptation,  and  ac- 
cepted the  farmer's  proposal.  The  farmer  immedi- 
ately led  him  to  the  edge  of  the  forest ;  counted 
aloud  the  number  of  his  cows,  not  forgetting  the 
young  heifers  ;  cut  for  him  a  switch  of  hazel  wood, 
and  told  him  to  remain  there  till  sundown. 

Peronnik  was  now  fairly  installed  as  cow-keeper, 
and  had  enough  to  do  to  keep  them  in  order ;  so 
that,  long  before  night,  he  was  tired  to  death 
with  running  from  the  black  cow  to  the  red  one, 


and  from  the  red  cow  to  the  white  one.  "While  he 
was  scudding  about  after  the  stray  cattle,  he  heard 
the  tramp  of  a  horse,  and  perceived  in  one  of  the 
avenues  of  the  forest,  the  giant,  Rogear,  mounted 
on  his  black  mare,  and  followed  by  the  young  colt. 
He  had  the  golden  basin  hanging  from  his  neck, 
and  in  his  hand  was  the  diamond  lance,  which 
shone  like  a  flame  of  fire.  Peronnik  was  so 
alarmed,  that  he  hid  himself  behind  the  bushes ; 
but  the  giant  passed  on,  and  did  not  notice  him. 
"When  he  had  disappeared,  the  idiot  came  out  from 
his  hiding-place,  and  looked  on  all  sides  to  discover 
the  road  the  giant  had  taken,  but  it  had  already 
become  invisible. 

Day  after  day  there  came  armed  knights  seeking 
the  Castle  of  Kerglas,  but  none  were  ever  seen 
returning.  In  the  mean  time,  the  giant  rode  out 
every  evening;  and  Perronnik,  who  had  now  be- 
come accustomed  to  the  sight  of  him,  no  longer 
hid  himself,  but  gazed  with  envious  eyes  upon  the 
golden  basin  and  the  diamond  lance,  which  he  was 
now  determined  to  possess. 


654?=^=^ 


One  evening,  as  Peronnik  was  gathering  the 
cows  to  drive  them  home,  he  saw  on  the  edge  of 
the  wood  an  old  gray -bearded  man.  The  idiot,  sup- 
posing him  to  be  another  stranger,  in  quest  of  ad- 
ventures, asked  him  if  he  was  looking  for  the  road 
to  Kerglas. 

"  Why  should  I  be  looking  for  what  I  have 
found  long  ago  ?"  answered  the  old  man. 

"  You  have  been  to  Kerglas,  and  yet  come  back 
alive !"  exclaimed  Peronnik. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  fear,"  replied  the  stranger 
with  the  white  beard.  "  I  am  the  enchanter 
Bryak,  the  eldest  brother  of  Rogear.  When  I  wish 
to  see  him,  I  come  here  ;  and  as,  notwithstanding 
my  power,  I  cannot  cross  the  Forest  of  Enchant- 
ments without  losing  my  way,  I  call  the  foal  to 
conduct  me." 

With  these  words,  the  magician  traced  three 
circles  in  the  dust  with  his  ringer,  repeating  to 
himself  a  secret  spell,  and  then  he  called  out  aloud : 


"  Foal  of  the  forest,  from  bridle-bit  free, 
Foal  of  the  forest,  I'm  waiting  for  thee." 


157 


In  an  instant  the  colt  appeared,  and  Bryak,  slip- 
ping a  halter  over  his  head,  mounted  upon  his  back 
and  entered  the  forest. 

Peronnik  said  nothing  to  any  one  about  this  ad- 
venture ;  but  he  understood  plainly  enough,  that  in 
order  to  reach  the  Castle  of  Kerglas,  he  must  mount 
the  black  mare's  foal.  Unfortunately,  he  could 
neither  trace  the  magical  circles,  nor  repeat  the 
spell;  and  though  he  remembered  every  word  of 
the  old  man's  call,  and  went  about  saying  to  him- 
self: 

"  Foal  of  the  forest,  from  bridle-bit  free, 
Foal  of  the  forest,  I'm  waiting  for  thee," 

yet  the  animal  paid  no  attention  to  his  couplet ;  so 
he  thought  he  would  try  to  find  another  means  of 
catching  the  colt.  He  thought  over  all  he  had 
heard  and  seen,  and  finally  determined  to  try  the 
effect  of  cunning  and  trickery  against  the  powerful 
giant.  He  therefore  made  all  his  arrangements,  in 
order  to  be  ready  when  the  giant  should  appear  in 
the  forest.     He  took  with  him  a  hempen  halter,  a 


158 


BqMSfiSBSaSa 


snare,  used  in  catching  woodcocks,  a  leather  bag, 
full  of  birdlime  and  lark's  feathers,  a  handful  of 
beads,  an  elder-wood  pipe,  and  a  morsel  of  dry 
bread  smeared  over  with  rancid  lard.  These  being 
ready,  he  broke  into  pieces  the  bread  which  he  had 
saved  from  his  breakfast,  and  scattered  it  along  the 
road  which  the  giant  always  travelled. 

The  giant,  the  black  mare,  and  the  foal,  all  ap- 
peared at  the  usual  hour,  and  went  on  their  usual 
way ;  but  the  colt,  who  went  with  his  head  down, 
sniffing  the  earth,  smelt  the  bread,  and  began  de- 
vouring the  scattered  pieces,  until  the  giant  had 
gone  out  of  sight.  Then  Peronnik  softly  approached 
him,  and  slipping  a  halter  over  his  head,  leaped  on 
his  back,  well  knowing  that  the  colt  would  take 
the  direct  road  to  Kerglas.  He  was  not  mistaken 
in  this,  for  the  colt  instantly  struck  into  a  dark  and 
narrow  pass,  and  dashed  forward  at  the  top  of  his 
speed. 

Peronnik  trembled  like  a  leaf,  as  soon  as  he  en- 
tered the  Forest  of  Enchantments,  and  beheld  all  its 
terrors.     Sometimes  a  bottomless  pit  seemed  to  open 


before  Ms  horse's  feet,  as  if  to  swallow  him  up ; 
sometimes  the  trees  would  suddenly  burst  out  into 
flames ;  sometimes,  as  he  was  passing  a  little 
brook,  it  would  swell  into  a  mighty  waterfall,  and 
threaten  to  overwhelm  him ;  and  again,  as  the 
road  wound  round  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  immense 
rocks  would  totter  above  his  head,  ready  to  crush 
him  in  a  moment.  The  idiot  knew  that  these  were 
but  sorceries,  but  they  froze  the  very  marrow  of 
his  bones  with  terror ;  and,  at  last,  pulling  his  hat 
over  his  eyes,  that  he  might  see  nothing  more,  he 
suffered  the  colt  to  carry  him  onward,  without 
noticing  whither  he  went. 

At  length  they  reached  the  extremity  of  the  en- 
chanted forest,  and  Peronnik,  taking  off  his  hat, 
found  himself  in  the  midst  of  a  sandy  plain.  As 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  nothing  was  to  be  seen 
but  the  skeletons  of  knights  who  had  sought  the 
Castle  of  Kerglas.  They  were  stretched  out,  each 
one  beside  his  horse,  and  the  gray  wolves  had 
picked  their  bones  as  clean  as  an  elder-wood  whis- 
tle.    The  foal  carried  Peronnik  swiftly  past  tins 

160 


terrible  sight,  until  he  arrived  at  a  meadow  com- 
pletely overshadowed  by  one  large  apple-tree,  so 
laden  with  fruit,  that  its  branches  hung  down  to 
the  ground.  In  front  of  the  tree  sat  the  korigan, 
holding  in  his  hand  the  flaming  sword,  which 
turned  to  ashes  every  thing  it  touched.  At  the 
sight  of  Peronnik,  he  screamed  like  a  sea-gull,  and 
lifted  his  sword;  but,  without  appearing  in  the 
least  alarmed,  the  young  man  politely  took  off  his 
hat,  saying: 

"  Do  not  disturb  yourself,  my  little  prince ;  I  am 
only  going  to  Kerglas,  where  Lord  Rogear  is  ex- 
pecting me." 

"  Expecting  you !"  exclaimed  the  dwarf.  "  What 
does  he  want  with  you  ?" 

" I  am  his  new  servant,"  replied  the  idiot ;  "and 
he  is  now  waiting  for  me,  as  you  know." 

"  I  know  nothing  about  it,"  cried  the  dwarf.  "  I 
only  know  you  look  like  a  rogue." 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  Peronnik ;  "  I  have 
no  such  trade.  My  business  is  that  of  a  bird- 
catcher.    But  Ibeg  of  you  not  to  detain  me  any 


161 


11 


longer,  for  Rogear  is  impatient,  and  as  you  see,  has 
lent  me  his  black  mare's  foal,  to  carry  me  to  the 
castle  as  swiftly  as  possible." 

The  korigan,  seeing  Peronnik  mounted  on  the 
colt,  supposed  his  story  must  be  true,  especially  as 
he  had  such  a  frank  and  innocent  air ;  but  in  order 
to  satisfy  himself  more  fully,  he  asked  what  use 
Rogear  was  going  to  make  of  a  bird-catcher. 

"  He  has  great  need  of  one  just  now,"  answered 
the  youth ;  "  for,  according  to  his  account,  all  the 
grain  and  fruit  in  Kerglas  is  eaten  up  by  the 
birds." 

"  How  can  you  catch  them  ?"  asked  the  dwarf. 

Peronnik  showed  him  the  snare  which  he  had 
made,  and  said  no  bud  could  escape  from  it. 

"  I  would  like  to  see  it  tried,"  said  the  korigan ; 
"  for  my  apple-tree  is  ravaged  by  blackbirds  and 
sparrows.  If  you  can  catch  a  few  of  them  in  your 
snare,  I  will  let  you  pass." 

Peronnik  tied  his  colt,  and,  approaching  the 
apple-tree,  fixed  one  end  of  the  snare  to  the  ground, 
and  called  to  the  korigan  to  hold  the  other  end, 


162 


g^pwg^araigaeggwg^paes 


^^j-*— >< — s= 


while  lie  prepared  the  pegs.  The  dwarf  obeyed; 
but  no  sooner  did  he  put  his  hand  in  the  noose, 
than  Peronnik  pulled  the  slip-knot,  and  the  korigan 
found  himself  trapped  like  a  bird.  He  uttered  a 
cry  of  rage,  and  struggled  hard  to  free  himself  from 
the  snare ;  but  he  could  not  stir,  while  Peronnik, 
snatching  an  apple  from  the  tree,  mounted  the  foal, 
and  was  out  of  sight  in  a  moment. 

He  soon  found  himself  near  a  garden  filled  with 
the  most  beautiful  and  rare  plants.  There  were 
roses  of  all  colors,  scarlet  honeysuckles,  and  fra- 
grant lilies ;  but  conspicuous  among  them,  was  a 
snow-white  flower,  which  continually  uttered  a 
most  melodious  and  ringing  laugh.  Directly  in 
the  path  which  led  to  the  garden,  stood  a  lion, 
whose  mane  was  composed  of  living  snakes,  and 
who  roared  and  gnashed  his  teeth,  as  soon  as  he 
spied  the  traveller.  Peronnik  stopped,  and  saluted 
him  with  a  low  bow ;  for  he  knew  that,  when  deal- 
ing with  great  people,  a  hat  is  of  more  use  in  the 
hand  than  on  the  head.  He  then  asked  after  the 
lion's  health,  as  well  as  that  of  his  family;    and 

163 


—  — ^T-'W^      _l^-       .     -^ —  *wJ 


finished,  by  requesting  his  highness  to  show  him  the 
most  direct  road  to  Kerglas. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  at  Kerglas  ?"  roared 
the  ferocious  beast. 

"  A  great  lady,  the  friend  of  my  Lord  Rogear, 
has  sent  me  to  him  with  a  bag  full  of  larks,  to 
make  a  pie. 

"  A  bag  full  of  larks !"  exclaimed  the  lion,  lick- 
ing his  moustache.  "It  is  an  age  since  I  have 
tasted  one.     Have  you  got  many  ?" 

"My  bag  is  full,  my  lord,"  replied  Peronnik, 
showing  the  leather  bag,  which  he  had  filled  with 
birdlime  and  feathers,  while  he  imitated  with  his 
voice  the  warbling  of  larks. 

The  lion  could  not  resist  this.  "  Let  me  see  your 
birds,"  said  he ;  "  they  may  not  be  fat  enough  for 
my  master." 

"  I  am  afraid  they  will  fly  out  if  I  open  the  bag," 
said  Peronnik. 

"Open  it  a  little  way,  so  that  I  can  get  my 
head  in." 


This  was  just  what  Peronnik  desired.    He  held 

164 


< 


open  the  leather  bag,  into  which  the  lion  thrust  his 
head,  and  in  a  moment  he  was  caught  among  the 
birdlime  and  the  feathers.  The  idiot  pulled  the 
string,  leaving  the  bag  fastened  round  the  lion's 
throat,  and  his  head  buried  within  it ;  then  pluck- 
ing the  laughing  flower,  he  mounted  the  foal,  and 
was  off  like  a  dart. 

He  soon  came  to  the  Lake  of  Dragons ;  and  he 
had  no  sooner  entered  it,  than  the  frightful  animals 
came  from  all  sides  to  devour  him.  Peronnik 
threw  out  some  beads,  which  the  dragons  mistook 
for  grains  of  corn,  and  greedily  devoured ;  but  the 
moment  they  had  swallowed  one,  they  turned  over 
on  their  backs,  and  floated  off  quite  dead. 

The  valley  guarded  by  the  blackamoor  with  the 
iron  ball,  now  remained  to  be  crossed.  Peronnik 
saw  him  at  a  distance,  chained  to  a  rock  at  the 
entrance  of  the  valley,  and  holding  in  his  hand  his 
terrible  weapon,  which  always  reached  its  aim,  and 
then  returned  of  itself.  He  had  six  eyes  around 
his  head,  two  of  which  usually  slept,  while  the 
others  watched ;  but  when  the  idiot  saw  him,  the 

165 


1 


whole  six  were  wide  open.  Peronnik,  fearing  the 
iron  ball,  crept  along  under  the  bushes,  until  he 
arrived  within  a  few  steps  of  the  blackamoor,  who 
stretched  himself,  and  seemed  to  be  growing  sleepy. 
Peronnik,  hiding  behind  the  trees,  began  to  sing 
like  a  lark,  and  at  last  fairly  sung  the  old  fellow 
sound  asleep.  Then  taking  his  horse  by  the  bridle, 
and  making  him  tread  on  the  soft  turf,  he  passed 
the  guardian  of  the  valley,  and  entered  the  Garden 
of  False  Delights. 

This  garden  was  the  most  dangerous  place  he 
had  yet  traversed.  It  was  full  of  fruits,  and 
flowers,  and  fountains ;  but  the  fountains  flowed 
with  wine  and  delicious  cordials,  the  flowers  sung 
like  nightingales,  and  the  fruit  dropped  into  the 
hands  of  the  traveller.  As  he  entered  one  of  the 
winding  walks,  he  saw  great  tables  covered  with 
dainties  fit  for  a  king,  while  he  smelt  the  rich 
odors  of  pies  and  cakes  which  the  servants  were 
taking  out  of  the  ovens.  A  little  farther  on,  he 
saw  groups  of  young  girls  dancing,  who  called  him 
by  name,  and  invited  him  to  join  them.    By  de- 


SES-^ta^aagiAgs; 


grees,  Peronnik  found  himself  slackening  the  pace 
of  the  foal,  and  going  along  with  his  nose  in  the 
air,  scenting  the  rich  cookery.  He  was  upon  the 
point  of  stopping,  when  he  suddenly  remembered 
the  golden  basin,  and  the  diamond  lance.  He 
immediately  began  to  play  on  his  elder- wood  flute, 
that  he  might  not  hear  the  sweet  voices  around 
him ;  to  eat  his  crust  of  bread,  smeared  with 
rancid  butter,  that  he  might  not  smell  the  rich 
dishes ;  and  to  look  only  at  the  ears  of  his  horse, 
that  he  might  not  see  the  dancers.  By  these 
means  he  was  enabled  to  pass  through  the  garden 
in  safety,  and  came  within  sight  of  the  Castle  of 
Kerglas,  from  which  he  was  now  only  divided  by 
the  river  that  had  but  one  for  ding-place.  This, 
fortunately,  was  well  known  to  the  black  mare's 
foal,  and  Peronnik  crossed  in  safety. 

When  he  reached  the  opposite  side,  he  beheld  a 
lady  seated  on  a  rock.  She  had  a  face  as  yellow 
as  a  Moor's,  and  was  clad  from  head  to  foot  in 
black  satin.  Peronnik  took  off  his  hat,  and  asked 
her  if  she  wished  to  visit  the  Castle  of  Kerglas. 


167 


"  I  am  waiting  for  you,"  answered  the  lady. 
"  Come  and  take  me  up  behind  you." 

Peronnik  took  the  lady  behind  him,  and  went  on 
his  way.     They  had  not  gone  far,  when  she  said  : 

"  Do  you  know  who  I  am,  my  good  youth  ? 

"  From  your  rich  dress,  madam,  I  take  you  to 
be  some  noble  and  powerful  lady." 

"  I  am  noble  enough,"  replied  the  lady,  "for  I 
can  trace  my  origin  back  to  the  earliest  days  of 
the  world :  I  am  powerful  too,  for  all  the  kings  of 
the  earth  fear  me." 

"  What  then  is  your  name,  great  princess  ?" 
asked  Peronnik. 

"  I  am  called  the  Plague,"  answered  the  yellow 
lady. 

Peronnik  started,  and  was  about  to  spring  from 
his  horse,  but  the  lady  held  him  back,  and  said : 

"  You  have  nothing  to  fear  from  me ; — I  am 
come  to  do  you  a  service." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  madam  ;  but  you 
can  do  me  no  greater  service  than  to  rid  me  of  the 
magician  Rogear." 


J 


"  That  I  will  do  with  pleasure,"  answered  she. 
"  Give  him  the  apple  you  plucked,  and  if  he  tastes 
it,  I  have  only  to  touch  him,  and  he  will  die." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  obtain  the  "  golden  basin, 
and  the  diamond  lance  ?"  asked  Peronnik. 

"  The  laughing  flower  opens  all  doors,  and 
gives  light  in  all  dark  places.  It  will  lead  you  to 
the  vault  where  these  treasures  are  concealed,  and 
will  unclose  the  doors  which  no  key  can  unlock." 

At  that  moment  they  reached  the  castle  gate, 
over  the  entrance  to  which  was  stretched  a  great 
canopy,  where  the  giant,  sheltered  from  the  sun, 
sat  smoking  a  golden  pipe.  As  soon  as  he  per- 
ceived Peronnik,  and  the  lady  clad  in  black  satin, 
he  exclaimed : 

"  By  the  powers  of  the  air !  the  idiot  is  riding 
my  black  mare's  foal !" 

"  It  is  the  very  same,  oh  greatest  of  magicians !" 
answered  Peronnik. 

"  How  did  you  get  him  ?" 

"  I  followed  the  directions  of  your  brother  Bryak, 
and  when  I  reached  the  edge  of  the  forest,  I  said : 

169 


'  FoaJ  of  the  Forest,  from  bridle-bit  free, 
Foal  of  the  Forest,  I'm  waiting  for  thee.' " 

"  Then  you  know  my  brother  ?" 

"  As  well  as  a  man  can  know  his  master." 

"  Why  did  he  send  you  here  ?" 

"  To  present  you  with  two  rare  gifts,  which  he 
has  just  received  from  the  country  of  the  Moors. 
This  apple  has  the  power  of  making  you  always 
happy,  if  you  but  taste  it ;  and  this  lady,  if 
allowed  to  enter  your  service,  can  fulfil  all  your 
wishes  in  an  instant." 

"  Then  give  me  the  apple,  and  set  down  your 
Morisco  woman,"  answered  Rogear. 

The  idiot  obeyed ;  but  as  soon  as  the  giant  had 
eaten  a  morsel  of  the  apple,  the  yellow  lady 
touched  him  with  her  finger,  and  he  fell  to  the 
earth  like  a  stricken  ox.  Peronnik  entered  the 
castle,  holding  in  his  hand  the  laughing  flower. 
He  traversed  fifty  rooms,  and  at  length  reached  a 
vault  closed  with  a  silver  door.  This  immediately 
opened  at  the  presence  of  the  laughing  flower, 
and  Peronnik  found  himself  master  of  the  golden 

170 


basin  and  the  diamond  lance.  But  scarcely  had 
he  seized  them,  than  the  earth  began  to  tremble 
beneath  his  feet,  a  terrible  clap  of  thunder  was 
heard,  the  palace  disappeared,  and  Peronnik  found 
himself  on  the  borders  of  the  forest,  with  his  two 
talismans  in  his  hand.  He  stopped  at  the  nearest 
city  to  buy  a  rich  dress,  and  then  hurried  on  to 
offer  his  services  to  the  King  of  Brittany. 

On  arriving  at  Nantes,  he  found  the  city  be- 
sieged by  the  French,  who  had  so  completely  rav- 
aged the  country,  that  they  had  not  left  forage 
enough  for  a  goat.  Famine  was  raging  in  the 
city,  and  the  soldiers  who  did  not  die  of  their 
wounds,  perished  for  want  of  food.  Therefore,  on 
the  very  day  of  Peronnik's  arrival,  the  king  had 
proclaimed,  by  the  sound  of  trumpet,  that  whoever 
should  relieve  the  city,  and  drive  away  the  French, 
should  be  adopted  as  his  heir.  Hearing  this,  the 
idiot  said  to  the  herald : 

"  Don't  give  yourself  any  more  trouble ;  I  will 
do  all  you  require." 

"  You !"    exclaimed  the  herald,  looking  at  the 

171 


:? 


idiot,  who  was  very  young,  and  very  small.  "  Go 
your  way,  little  wren;  the  king  has  no  time  to 
catch  birds  on  the  ohimney-tops." 

Peronnik  touched  the  soldier  with  his  diamond 
lance,  and  he  fell  dead  at  his  feet,  to  the  great 
alarm  of  the  beholders. 

"  Now,  you  see  what  I  can  do  to  my  ene- 
mies ;  and  I  will  show  you  how  I  can  serve  my 
friends." 

So  saying,  he  put  the  golden  basin  to  the  lips  of 
the  dead  soldier,  who  instantly  started  up,  and  be- 
gan to  blow  his  trumpet. 

The  king,  being  informed  of  these  wonderful 
events,  gave  Peronnik  the  command  of  his  whole 
army.  In  less  than  six  days,  he  had  killed  all  the 
French  with  his  diamond  lance,  and  furnished  all 
the  Bretons  with  food,  besides  healing  all  their 
wounds  by  means  of  his  golden  basin.  After  sub- 
jecting all  the  neighboring  countries  to  his  power, 
he  married  a  beautiful  princess,  and  lived  long  and 
happily  in  his  own  dominions.  But  after  his 
death,  the  magician   Bryak,   brother  to  Rogear, 

172 


found  means  to  gain  possession  of  the  golden  basin 
and  the  diamond  lance,  and  they  are  not  likely  to 
be  discovered  again,  until  they  are  sought  for  by 
as  wise  a  fool  as  Peronnik  the  Idiot. 


173 


=«=»g^sga-— "A-fgaa^jMg^i  .       ggaBSgaglBSBS'BSgSwgaB'^ 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

AN  you  not  find  it  in  your  heart 
to  wish  our  children  less  fond 
of  legendary  tales?"  asked  the 
younger  Mrs.  Waldorf,  smilingly, 
as  she  saw  grandfather  lay  aside 
a  volume  in  which  he  was  deeply 
interested,  and  rise  from  his  seat  at 
the  summons  of  little  Bertha. 

"No,  my  daughter,"  answered  the 
kind  old  man ;  "  children  are  apt  to  think 
there  are  so  few  links  between  youth  and 
age,  that  I  am  always  glad  when  they 
find  more  than  they  looked  for." 

"  But  you  suffer  them  to  interrupt  you  in  your 
favorite  studies." 

"  I  do  not  feel  it  an  interruption.     I  am  like  a 

174 


traveller  who,  having  arrived  within  sight  of  the 
city  of  his  rest,  seats  himself  on  a  green  bank, 
awaiting  the  opening  of  the  gates.  If  the  little 
children  gather  round  him,  in  curiosity  or  in  kind- 
ness, he  will  not  rebuke  them,  but  rather  while 
away  with  them  the  hours  that  must  pass  between 
the  eventide  and  the  glad  sun-rising.  You  under- 
stand my  metaphor,  daughter ;  my  work  on  earth 
is  nearly  done.     Milton  says  : 

1  They  also  serve,  who  only  stand  and  wait.' 

May  I  not  believe,  therefore,  that  having  served 
God  in  my  youth,  with  all  the  active  powers  of 
my  mind,  I  am  also  humbly  serving  him  now, 
while  I  seem  to  be  only  awaiting  his  pleasure,  to 
call  me  home  ?  The  love  with  which  I  have  in- 
spired the  young  hearts  of  that  dear  group,  who 
are  now  gathering  round  my  old  chair  in  the  porch, 
is  a  "comfort  to  me,  and  will,  I  trust,  be  a  blessing 
to  them.  "With  regard  to  my  legends,  I  can  only 
say,  that  as  the  downy  filament  which  encircles 
certain  seeds,  enables  them  to  fly  on  the  wings  of 


175 


:^=>^=i^^= 


-. —  a  — ^asg^-nj^ 


the  wind,  to  their  congenial  soils  ;  so  the  gossamer 
fancies  in  which  our  legends  envelope  moral  truths, 
may  carry  them  farther,  and  plant  them  in  their 
proper  soil,  when  all  efforts  of  the  graver  moralist 
would  fail. 

"  But  the  children  are  impatient,  and  we  will  join 
them.  Do  not  give  me  too  much  credit  for  my 
good-nature,  however ;  for  I  have  been  reading  an 
essay  on  the  analogies  that  exist  between  the  pop- 
ular fictions  of  all  nations,  and  it  has  recalled  to 
my  memory  the  only  Breton  legend  with  which  I 
am  acquainted,  that  closely  resembles  a  popular 
Irish  fairy  tale.  I  am  going  to  tell  it  this  evening, 
in  order  to  test  the  similarity,  and  see  if  Master 
Frank,  who  is  my  greatest  critic,  will  recognize  or 
remember  it." 

With  these  words,  grandfather  left  the  room  ; 
and  the  shouts  of  the  children,  as  he  took  possession 
of  "  Fairy-Hollow,"  were  quickly  silenced  by  their 
attention  to  the  story. 


vmi  mmm  m  wMm»mwm 


OR  , 


THE    HUNCHBACK. 


RITTANY  formerly  contained  a 
race  of  dwarfs,  called  korigans, 
who  were  divided  into  four  classes. 
Those  who  inhabited  the  woods, 
were  named    "  kornikaneds,"   or 
"  hornblowers,"     because      they 
played    on    tiny    bugles   which    they 
carried  at  their  girdles.     The  second 
°|     class,   who    dwelt    in  the   meadows, 
were  called  "  korils,"  because  they  spent 
the  night  in  dancing  by  the  light  of  the 
moon.     A  third  class,  inhabiting  the  deep 
valleys,  were  entitled  " poul-pikans,"   or   "people 

177 


12 


who  live  in  the  lowlands."  The  "  teus"  composed 
the  fourth  class,  who  dwelt  among  the  fields  of  ripe 
grain,  but  were  finally  banished  from  the  country, 
on  suspicion  of  being  too  favorable  towards  the 
human  race. 

In  the  province  of  Plandren  was  a  wide  heath, 
known  by  a  name  which  signified  "  Fairy-Copse," 
where  was  the  largest  settlement  of  korils  to  be 
found  in  any  country.  They  danced  every  night 
upon  the  heath ;  and  woe  to  the  luckless  wight 
who  should  chance  to  traverse  that  path ;  for  he 
was  instantly  seized,  dragged  into  the  circle,  and 
compelled  to  dance  until  cock-crowing  time  ;  when 
he  was  left,  half  dead  with  fatigue,  upon  the 
trampled  grass.  Of  course,  very  few  persons  were 
adventurous  enough  to  cross  the  heath  after  night- 
fall ;  but  it  so  happened  that  a  certain  laborer, 
named  Bernard  Guilcher,  was  one  night  returning, 
with  his  wife,  from  a  day's  work  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  found  that  he  must  either  cross  the 
Fairy-Copse,  or  make  a  circuit  of  several  miles. 
Now,  Bernard  was  very  tired,  and  as  it  was  very 

178 

"z  — ~" — V " 1  '     "T*"~.~  »  ^g"""~\ 


early,  he  trusted  to  the  belief,  that  the  dwarfs  had 
not  yet  begun  their  nightly  frolics.  So  he  ven- 
tured upon  the  heath,  and  had  nearly  reached  the 
middle  of  it,  when  he  suddenly  beheld  it  swarming 
with  fairies,  like  crows  in  a  corn  field.  At  the 
same  moment,  the  horns  of  the  little  hunters 
sounded  on  all  sides,  and  the  cries  of  the  poul- 
pikans  were  heard  in  every  direction. 

"  We  are  lost !  we  are  lost !"  cried  Bernard, 
"  we  shall  be  obliged  to  dance  till  daylight ;  and, 
after  our  day's  work,  it  will  kill  us." 

Troops  of  korigans  now  clustered  round,  like 
flies  about  a  drop  of  honey,  and  the  poor  peasants 
were  in  despair.  But  just  as  the  dwarfs  were 
about  to  seize  both,  they  espied  the  little  pitch- 
fork, which  Guilcher  carried  in  his  hand,  and  in- 
stantly, tumbling  each  other  head  over  heels,  they 
retreated,  singing : — 

"  Back !  my  comrades !  let  them  be ! 

In  his  hand  the  pitchfork  see ; 

Touch  them  not,  both  he  and  she 

Through  the  Fairy-Copse  go  free." 

179 


^^s?^=^=^ 


So,  greatly  to  his  own  surprise,  as  well  as  delight, 
Bernard  found  his  way  left  clear  ;  and  you  may 
easily  suppose  he  did  not  let  the  grass  grow  under 
his  feet,  as  he  crossed  the  heath.  By  this  means  it 
was  discovered  that  a  pitchfork  was  a  magical 
safeguard  against  the  malicious  dwarfs ;  and 
from  that  time,  the  peasants  traversed  the  heath 
in  perfect  safety,  whenever  they  took  the  pre- 
caution to  arm  themselves  with  one  before  going 
out. 

This  was  a  great  discovery,  no  doubt,  but  Ber- 
nard Guilcher  was  not  so  easily  satisfied.  He  was 
a  curious  and  cunning  fellow,  as  full  of  fun  as 
hunchbacks  always  are,  and  as  merry  as  a  cricket. 
(I  forgot  to  mention  that  Bernard  had  a  great 
hump,  directly  between  his  shoulders,  of  which  he 
was  by  no  means  vain.)  He  pondered  over  this 
affair  of  the  korils,  and  their  evident  reverence  for 
a  pitchfork,  until  he  began  to  fancy^hat  he  might 
turn  his  discovery  to  still  better  account.  Ac- 
cordingly, one  night,  he  took  his  pitchfork,  and  sal- 
lied out  to  the  heath,  determined  to  become  better 

180 


acquainted  with  the  fairies.  He  was  espied  by 
them  at  a  great  distance,  and  he  heard  them  ery 
out : 

"  Here  comes  Bernard  Guilcher ! — here  he 
comes  !" 

"Yes ;  here  I  come,  to  pay  you  a  friendly  visit;" 
said  the  jovial  hunchback. 

"  Welcome  !  thrice  welcome  !"  said  the  korils  ; 
"  will  you  dance  with  us  ?" 

"  Excuse  me,  my  dear  little  friends  ;  you  are 
too  long-winded  for  a  poor  invalid  like  me,"  an- 
swered Bernard." 

"  We  will  stop  as  soon  as  you  get  tired,"  cried 
the  dwarfs. 

"  On  your  honor  ? — Well,  then  I  will  join  your 
ring ;"  and  Bernard,  knowing  that  he  was  safe  in 
their  promise,  began  to  dance  merrily,  while  the 
korals  sang  their  old  refrain  of 

"  Monday,  and  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday,  are  all, 
Monday,  and  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday,  are  all." 

But  in  a  few  minutes  Bernard  was  so   heartily 

181 


tired  of  their  monotonous  chant,  that  he  stopped 
suddenly,  and  said : 

"With  all  due  respect  to  you,  gentlemen,  it 
seems  to  me  that  your  dance  lacks  variety  and 
sprightliness  ;  you  stop  too  early  in  the  week  with 
your  song;  and,  though  I  do  not  pretend  to  be 
much  of  a  poet,  I  think  I  could  mend  your  verse." 

"  Quick  ;  quick.  Let  us  hear  you,"  exclaimed 
the  korils. 

The  hunchback  replied  by  singing  : — 

"  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday — oh,  these  are  not  all, 
Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  come  at  our  call." 

He  had  scarcely  uttered  these  words,  when  the 
korils  burst  into  a  loud  shout :  "  Hurrah  for  Ber- 
nard Guilcher  !  hurrah  for  the  minstrel  and  the 
dancer  !     Sing  it  again  ;  sing  it  again." 

Bernard  cheerfully  complied  with  their  wishes  ; 
and  the  little  fairies  danced  round  and  round,  like 
dead  leaves  in  a  whirlwind.  At  last  they  stopped, 
and  coming  up  to  Guilcher,  they  exclaimed  : 

"  Tell  us  what  you  want.     What  shall  we  give 

182 


you  ?  will  you  have  riches  or  beauty  ?  Choose 
which  you  like,  and  you  shall  have  it." 

"  Are  you  serious,"  asked  the  astonished  hunch- 
back. 

"  May  we  be  condemned  to  carry  corn,  grain  by 
grain,  to  yonder  mill,  if  we  deceive  you." 

"  If  you  are  really  in  earnest,  and  desire  to  give 
me  some  reward,"  said  Bernard,  "  then  let  me  beg 
you  to  relieve  me  of  this  burden,  which  I  carry  be- 
tween my  shoulders,  and  make  me  as  straight  as  a 
flag-staff." 

"  "Well,  well ;  you  shall  have  your  wish ;  only 
be  quiet."  And  with  these  words,  the  korils 
seized  Bernard,  tossed  him  up  in  the  air,  flung  him 
from  one  to  another,  like  a  ball,  till  he  had  been  in 
the  hands  of  the  whole  circle  ;  and,  finally,  just  as 
the  daylight  broke,  they  flung  him  down  on  the 
grass,  and  disappeared  like  a  swarm  of  gnats  before 
a  high  wind.  Bernard  slowly  rose  to  his  feet, 
wearied,  bewildered,  dizzy-headed,  and  half  blinded, 
but  without  his  hump.  He  had  become  so  young, 
so   tall,  so   straight,  and   so   handsome,  that  his 

183 


own  mother  would  have  been  unable  to  recognize 
him. 

You  may  imagine  how  he  astonished  all  his 
neighbors  upon  his  return.  His  wife  did  not  know 
what  to  do  about  receiving  him  into  the  house  ; 
and  he  was  obliged  to  tell  her  how  many  petti- 
coats she  had  in  her  wardrobe,  and  even  to  say 
what  was  the  color  of  her  stockings,  before  she 
would  believe  he  was  her  husband.  When  people 
were  at  last  convinced  of  his  identity,  it  became 
difficult  to  satisfy  their  curiosity.  Bernard  knew 
that  if  he  should  declare  himself  a  favorite  with 
the  fairies,  he  should  be  continually  tormented 
about  sick  oxen  and  stray  sheep ;  so  he  merely  an- 
swered, that  he  went  to  sleep  in  the  Fairy-Copse, 
and  when  he  woke,  his  hump  was  gone.  Every 
ill-shaped  person  in  the  parish  soon  after  tried  Ber- 
nard's experiment,  and,  armed  with  a  pitchfork, 
went  to  sleep  on  the  heath.  But  as  no  good  re- 
sults attended  their  attempts,  many  believed  that 
Guilcher  was  in  possession  of  some  secret  which  he 
would  not  divulge. 


There  was,  in  the  place,  a  certain  red-faced, 
squint-eyed  tailor ;  who,  from  his  stammering 
speech,  was  called  Pierre  Balibowzik,  or  Peter 
Babbler.  The  most  of  his  trade  are  merry  fellows, 
singing  on  their  shop-boards,  like  robins  in  the 
woods,  and  scenting  wheat  pancakes  as  a  dog 
smells  game.  But  Balibowzik  never  laughed,  or 
sung,  or  told  merry  tales  ;  and  he  ate  nothing  bet- 
ter than  bread,  so  coarse  you  might  pick  straws 
out  of  it.  He  was  a  miser  ;  and  what  is  worse,  a 
usurer,  who  lent  out  his  money  on  such  enormous 
interest,  that  he  ruined  every-body  who  dealt  with 
him.  Bernard  Guilcher  had  owed  him  five  crowns 
for  a  long  time,  and  Balibowzik  determined  to  wait 
no  longer  for  his  money.  So  he  made  his  demand ; 
and  when  Bernard  begged  for  a  little  more  time, 
he  refused  him  a  single  day,  unless  he  would  im- 
part the  secret  of  his  changed  appearance.  Poor 
Guilcher  had  no  resource ;  and  he,  therefore,  told 
the  whole  story  to  his  unrelenting  creditor,  who 
made  him  repeat  all  the  details  several  times,  that 
he    might   fix    them   in   his   memory ;    and   then 

185 


granted  him  only  eight  days'  time,  in  which  to  ob- 
tain his  five  crowns. 

The  story  he  had  heard  awakened  all  the  ava- 
rice in  Balibowzik's  nature  ;  and  he  determined,  on 
that  very  night,  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Fairy-Copse, 
and  see  whether  he  too  could  not  obtain  his  choice 
between  riches  and  beauty.  As  soon  as  the  moon 
had  risen,  off  went  the  squint-eyed  babbler,  with 
his  pitchfork  in  his  hand.  The  korils  perceived  him 
coming,  and  running  up,  asked  him  if  he  would 
dance.  Peter  Babbler  consented,  on  the  same  con- 
ditions as  Guilcher  had  made,  and  entering  the  ring, 
joined  them  in  their  dance  and  song.  They  sung 
the  verse  as  it  had  been  lengthened  by  Guilcher. 


1  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday, — oh,  these  are  not  all, 
Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  come  at  our  call." 


"  Stop,"  cried  the  tailor,  as  if  seized  with  a  sud- 
den fit  of  inspiration ;  "I  too  will  add  something  to 
your  song." 

"  Go  on !  go  on  !"  cried  the  korils ;  and  they  all 
began  together  : 


"  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday, — oh,  these  are  not  all, 
Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  come  at  our  call." 

when  they  had  gone  thus  far,  they  paused,  and  the 
Babbler  stammered  out : — 

"  Then  Sun-Sun-Sunday  is  left  as  the  very  last  one." 

The  dwarfs  uttered  a  terrible  cry.  "  Go  on !  go 
on !"  they  screamed. 

"Then  Sunday  is  left"— 

stammered  the  poor  tailor. 

"But  what  comes  next  ?     Quick  !   quick  !" 
"  Sun-Sun-Sunday,"    was     all    Peter    Babbler 
could  say. 

Suddenly  breaking  up  their  ring,  the  faries  came 
round  him  in  a  fury  of  impatience ;  but  the  poor 
stammerer,  frightened  half  to  death,  stood  with 
open  mouth,  unable  to  utter  another  word.  At 
last  the  waves  of  little  black  heads  by  which  he 
was  surrounded,  seemed  to  become  more  quiet. 
They  approached  him  in  less  menacing  attitudes ; 
and  a  thousand  voices  at  once  exclaimed : 

187 


"  What  is  your  wish  ?     Make  your  wish." 

"  My  w-w-wish  ?"  again  stuttered  Balibowzik. 
"Guilcher  has  cho-cho-chosen  between  beauty  and 
riches." 

"  Yes ;  he  chose  beauty,  and  left  riches  behind." 

"  Well,  I  choose  what  Gui-gui-Guilcher  left  be- 
hind." 

"  Very  good,"  cried  the  korils ;  "  come  here, 
Master  Tailor." 

Peter  Babbler  found  himself  rudely  tossed  from 
hand  to  hand,  until  he  had  been  thrown  round  the 
whole  circle.  He  was  then  flung  breathless  on  the 
ground ;  and  as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  he  found  that 
he  bore  between  his  shoulders,  the  hump  that  Guil- 
cher  had  left. 

The  poor  tailor  returned  to  his  home,  as  sneak- 
ingly  as  a  dog  that  had  lost  his  tail.  As  soon  as 
the  story  was  known,  people  came  from  far  and 
near,  to  see  him  ;  and  all  held  up  their  hands,  in 
horror,  when  they  beheld  his  back,  as  round  as  the 
curb  of  a  well.  But  Balibowzik  treasured  up  ven- 
geance in  his  heart  against  Guilcher,  whom  he  be- 

188 


lieved  to  have  influenced  the  korils  to  put  this  dis- 
grace upon  him. 

"When  the  eight  days  had  gone  by,  he  accord- 
ingly demanded  his  five  crowns  from  Bernard  ;  and 
finding  him  yet  unprepared  with  the  money,  gave 
orders  to  the  officers  of  justice,  that  they  should 
sell  Guilcher's  effects  at  public  sale.  Bernard's 
wife  was  in  despair,  and  cried  that  they  were  dis- 
graced forever, — that  they  could  do  nothing  now 
but  take  a  sack  and  a  staff,  and  beg  on  the  high 
road, — that  Bernard  had  grown  handsome  just  in 
time  to  carry  a  beggar's  wallet ;  and  a  thousand 
unreasonable  things,  such  as  women  often  say  in 
such  cases.  Guilcher  made  no  reply  to  her  re- 
proaches, but  he  felt  them  in  his  heart.  He  regret- 
ted now  that  he  had  not  chosen  riches  instead  of 
beauty  ;  and  he  would  gladly  have  taken  back  his 
hump,  if  he  could  have  covered  it  with  a  rich  man's 
cloak.  In  utter  despair  of  all  other  aid,  he  at  length 
determined  to  pay  another  visit  to  Fairy-Copse. 

The  korils  received  him  with  open  arms ;  and 
placed  him,  as  before,  in  the  middle  of  their  circle. 


189 


Though  Guilcher  had  no  heart  for  mirth,  he  deter- 
mined not  to  mar  the  mirth  of  his  friends ;  so  he 
danced  with  all  his  strength.  The  fairies,  de- 
lighted with  his  good-humor,  flew  round  him  like 
autumn  leaves.  They  sang  the  first  line  of  their 
refrain,  while  Guilcher  took  the  second  line ;  then 
the  korils  took  up  the  third  ;  and  as  there  was  no 
fourth  line,  Bernard,  who  was  the  last,  was  obliged 
to  sing  the  air  without  any  words.  This  did  not 
suit  his  nice  ear,  and  he  said  : 

£*  If  I  might  venture  my  opinion,  my  little  mas- 
ters, I  should  say  your  song  is  like  the  butcher's 
dog,  it  halts  on  three  legs." 

"  That's  true  ;  that's  true  !"  cried  the  korils. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  would  go  better  if  I  should 
add  a  fourth  foot  ?"  asked  Bernard. 

"  Go  on !  go  on !"  squeaked  the  impatient  little 
dwarfs ;  and  immediately  all  began  to  sing,  in  a 
piercing  voice : 

"  Monday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday, — oh !  these  are  not  all, 
Thursday,  Friday,  and  Saturday,  come  at  our  call ; 
Then  Sunday  is  left  as  the  very  last  one — " 

190 


here  they  stopped  for  Guilcher's  addition  : 


"  Dance,  korigans,  dance,  for  the  week  now  is  done," 

sung  he  merrily. 

A  thousand  voices  were  mingled  in  the  wild  cry 
which  rose  from  every  corner  of  the  Fairy-Copse. 
In  an  instant,  every  place  was  crowded  with  kori- 
gans, who  issued  from  tufts  of  grass,  from  thickets 
of  hawthorn,  and  from  the  clefts  of  the  rocks, 
swarming  like  a  perfect  beehive,  and  singing : 

"  Guilc'ner  has  saved  us, — our  penance  is  done; 
Our  exile  is  oyer,  and  we  must  be  gone." 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean?"  asked 
Guilcher. 

"  For  some  treason,  committed  many  years  ago, 
the  korigans  were  banished  from  Fairy-land,  and 
condemned  to  live  among  men,  until  some  good 
Christian  should  complete  the  verse  to  which  we 
were  obliged  to  dance  every  night.  You  have  once 
before  lengthened  it ;  and  we  hoped  that  the  tailor 
you  sent  would  have  finished  it ;  but  he  stopped 


just  before  it  was  complete,  and  therefore  we  pun- 
ished him  for  our  disappointment.  You  have  again 
come  to  our  assistance,  and  now, 

Guilclier  has  saved  us, — our  penance  is  done, 
Our  exile  is  over,  and  we  must  be  gone." 


"  If  you  do  indeed  owe  me  so  much  gratitude," 
said  Guilclier,  "  do  not  depart  without  aiding  me 
in  my  distress." 

"  What  do  you  want  now  ?" 

"  Enough  money  to  pay  Balibowzik  to-morrow, 
and  the  baker  every  day  afterwards." 

"  Take  our  purses  !  take  our  purses  !"  screamed 
the  little  elves ;  and  thus  saying,  they  threw  at  his 
feet  the  little  red  cloth  pockets  which  they  carried 
at  their  girdles. 

Guilclier  quickly  gathered  up  as  many  as  he 
could  carry,  and  hurried  joyously  home. 

"Light  a  pine-torch,  and  lock  the  door,"  ex- 
claimed he  to  his  wife.  "  I  have  got  money 
enough  now  to  buy  the  whole  country,"  placing 
at  the  same  time  the  little  bags  upon  the  table. 

192 


But,  alas  !  he  had  counted  the  price  of  his  butter 
before  he  had  bought  his  cow.  The  purses  of  the 
malicious  korils  contained  nothing  but  sand,  dead 
leaves,  some  hair,  and  a  pair  of  scissors.  At  this 
deplorable  sight,  he  uttered  such  a  cry,  that  his 
wife,  who  had  gone  to  lock  the  door,  came  running 
back  to  see  what  was  the  matter.  Guilcher  told 
her  the  whole  story, 

"  The  korigans  have  cheated  you,"  she  said. 

"  Alas  !  yes ;  I  see  it  now,"  said  the  poor  fellow. 

"  How  could  you  dare  to  touch  the  purses  of 
that  accursed  race,  you  wicked  wretch  ?" 

"  I  thought  I  should  find  in  them  something 
worth  having,"  said  he,  despondingly. 

"  You  might  have  known  better  than  to  expect 
any  thing  good  from  such  a  source.  You  have 
only  brought  ill-luck  upon  the  house.  But  give 
me  the  sacks :  you  know  that  running  water  de- 
stroys all  enchantments ;  and  if  I  throw  them  into 
the  brook  behind  the  house,  they  will  do  us  no 
harm." 

So  saying,  she  snatched  up  the  little  red  purses, 

193 


13 


and  followed  by  the  miserable  Guilcher,  went  to 
the  stream,  into  which  she  plunged  the  fairy  treas- 
ures. But  Guilcher  waited  until  she  had  gone 
into  the  house,  and  then  wading  into  the  water,  he 
fished  out  the  sacks,  saying  to  himself:  "I  will 
take  them  back  to  the  korils,  and  perhaps  they 
will  give  me  true  gold  for  them." 

As  he  was  carrying  them  into  the  barn,  where 
he  meant  to  hide  them  until  night,  he  fancied  they 
had  grown  heavier,  and  could  not  resist  his  desire 
to  look  into  one  more  bag,  to  be  sure  that  he  had 
really  been  cheated.  "What  was  his  astonishment, 
therefore,  to  find  the  hairs  converted  into  pearls, 
the  dead  leaves  into  gold  pieces,  the  sand  into 
diamonds,  and  the  scissors  into  a  superb  gold-hilted 
sword.  The  running  water  had  destroyed  the  en- 
chantment which  the  mischievous  korils  had  laid 
upon  their  treasures,  to  guard  them  from  the  eyes 
of  mortals. 

Guilcher  paid  Balibowzik  his  five  crowns,  and 
gave  to  every  poor  man  in  the  village  a  bushel  of 
wheat,  and  six  ells  of  cloth,  besides  bestowing  a 

194 


large  sum  upon  the  church.  He  then  went  with 
his  wife  to  another  part  of  the  country ;  and  as 
he  bought  a  fine  house,  and  kept  a  rich  equipage, 
nobody  knew  that  he  had  not  been  born  a  gentle- 
man, especially  as  he  always  conducted  himself  like 
a  good  man  and  a  Christian  towards  every  one. 


195 


"g^r-flso-js 


CHAPTER    IX. 


VERY  day  now  seemed  to  pos- 
sess a  double  value  to  the  chil- 
dren, for  the  summer  was  draw- 
ing to  its  close;  and  they  knew 
that  when  the  soft  bright  days 
of  autumn  came,  they  should  no 
longer  be  indulged  with  their  favorite 
fairy  legends.  Grandfather  Waldorf 
had  been  extremely  desirous  to  visit 
Niagara,  and  as  soon  as  the  heats  of  sum- 
^  mer  were  over,  the  elder  members  of  the 
family  intended  to  journey  among  all  the 
remarkable  places  in  the  neighborhood  of  their 
native  state.  Frank  was  very  anxious  to  obtain 
a  promise  from  his  grandfather  that  the  legends 
should  only  be  suspended,  and  not  entirely  relin- 


quished;  but  the  old  gentleman,  gravely,  and 
somewhat  sadly,  replied  to  his  modest  hint : 

"  I  dare  not  make  any  promise,  whose  fulfilment 
depends  on  the  future,  my  dear  boy.  When  one  has 
counted  as  many  years  as  I  have  done,  it  is  scarcely 
right  to  make  calculations  even  for  months.  But 
we  will  not  dim  the  brightness  of  the  present  time, 
by  thinking  of  the  future  ;  let  us  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ures that  present  themselves  from  day  to  day ;  even 
old  age  may  be  permitted  to  do  this  with  safety." 

"  Since  you  spoke  of  the  Druidical  remains  in 
Brittany,"  said  Edith,  "  I  have  looked  into  several 
books  on  the  subject,  and  have  been  surprised  to 
learn  the  magnitude  and  number  of  these  singular 
monuments." 

"  They  are  among  the  most  extraordinary  rem- 
nants of  antiquity,"  replied  Mr.  Waldorf.  "  You 
have,  doubtless,  heard  of  Stonehenge,  in  England, 
which  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  their  re- 
mains ;  but  few  persons  are  aware  that  Brittany 
abounds  in  monuments  far  more  wonderful.  On  the 
plain  of  Karnac,  for  instance,  are  to  be  seen  eleven 

197 


parallel  ranges  of  stones,  each  stone  from  ten  to 
twenty  feet  high,  composed  of  a  single  rough  block 
of  immense  weight.  These  ranges  of  stone  extend 
for  two  leagues.  And,  to  increase  the  wonder,  the 
smallest  part,  or,  what  would  be  called  the  apex  of 
the  pyramid,  is  planted  in  the  earth  ;  leaving  them 
standing,  as  it  were,  on  their  heads,  with  their 
broad  base  in  the  air.  There  are  various  traditions 
i  concerning  them ;  but  scholars  generally  unite  in 
attributing  them  to  the  time  of  the  Druid  worship. 
There  are  several  varieties  in  the  form  of  these 
Druidical  remains,  but  they  are  similar  in  char- 
acter. If  we  should  ever  resume  our  legends,  I 
will  give  you  a  fuller  description  of  these  very  cu- 
rious monuments.  The  imperfect  account  I  have 
now  sketched  out  for  you,  will  serve  for  the  present, 
to  introduce  one  of  the  traditions  of  the  country." 


198 


V10    MIL©   MM M£ 

OR, 

THE  STONES  OF  PLOUHINIC. 


YING  beyond  Hennebon,  near  the 
sea-coast,  is  a  poor  little  village, 
called   Plouhinic,   surrounded  by 
sandy  plains,  diversified  by  a  few 
scanty  forests  of  fir-trees,  and  pro- 
ducing neither   grass  enough  to 
feed  an  ox,  nor  gram  enough  to  fatten 
a  pig.    But  if  the  people  have  but  little 
corn  and  few  cattle,  they  can  comfort 
themselves  with  the  idea,  that  when 
they  grow  rich  enough  to  build  a  city,  there 
will  be  no  lack  of  stone  for  their  palaces. 
The  country  around  is  literally  strewed  with  those 


199 


singular  stones,  which  scholars  know  to  be  the  re- 
mains of  Druidical  temples,  but  which  the  peas- 
ants suppose  to  be  magnificent  cities  built  by  the 
korigans  or  fairies,  who  have  the  cunning  to  give 
them  the  appearance  of  mere  stones  to  the  eyes  of 
mortal  men. 

Not  many  years  since,  remnants  of  Druidical 
rites  might  be  found  in  the  simple  sports  of  the 
country.  The  festival  of  the  first  day  of  June  was 
one  of  these.  On  that  day,  the  young  people  were 
accustomed  to  assemble  on  the  great  plain ;  the 
girls  wearing  flax  flowers  in  their  boddices ;  and 
the  young  men  carrying  green  wheat-ears  in  their 
hats.  Before  beginning  the  dance,  which  was  kept 
up  till  evening,  with  great  spirit,  each  lover  would 
take  his  mistress  by  the  hand,  and  approaching  one 
of  the  great  stone  tables,  they  would  lay  upon  it 
the  wheat-ears  and  the  flax  blossoms.  If,  on  their 
return,  at  sunset,  the  flowers  were  still  unfaded, 
they  might  rely  on  each  other's  fidelity.  A  fright- 
ful story  is  told  of  the  beautiful  Tinah,  who  suf- 
fered herself,  on  such  an  occasion,  to  be  beguiled 


200 


by  an  evil  spirit,  in  the  disguise  of  a  gay  cavalier  ; 
and  her  fate  is  still  remembered,  as  a  .warning 
against  fickleness  and  ambition. 

But  I  am  forgetting  my  story,  while  indulging 
my  recollections.  In  the  village  of  Plouhinic,  then, 
near  the  banks  of  the  river  Intel,  resided  a  certain 
man,  named  Marzinn,  who  was  considered  very 
rich  ;  inasmuch  as  he  was  able  to  salt  a  pig  every 
year,  to  eat  as  much  rye  bread  as  he  liked,  and 
to  buy  a  new  pair  of  sabots,  or  wooden  shoes,  every 
Christmas.  He  was,  therefore,  something  of  a 
great  man,  in  the  village,  and  had  refused  the 
hand  of  his  sister,  Rozanne,  to  all  her  suitors,  be- 
cause they  were  day-laborers,  earning  their  bread 
by  the  sweat  of  their  brow.  Among  these  lovers 
was  a  worthy  fellow,  named  Bernez ;  who,  though 
poor,  was  industrious,  and  good-hearted.  He  had 
known  Rozanne  from  her  infancy  ;  and  the  love 
which  they  had  for  each  other  when  children,  had 
grown  with  them,  until  now,  when  the  refusal 
of  Marzinn  almost  broke  their  hearts.     But  they 

were  both  young,  and  cheerful ;  so  they  determined 

201 


to  bear  their  disappointment  as  well  as  they  could, 
and  wait  for  better  times ;  acting  upon  the  proverb, 
"  what  can't  be  cured,  must  be  endured." 

One  evening  Marzinn  was  holding  a  great  festi- 
val, and  had  invited  all  his  laborers,  among  whom 
Bernez  was  not  forgotten;  for  he  was  highly  es- 
teemed by  his  master  as  a  workman,  though  de- 
spised as  a  suitor.  They  had  just  gathered  round 
the  table,  on  which  smoked  a  delicious  supper  of 
black  puddings,  and  porridge,  sweetened  with 
honey  ;  and  the  guests  were  just  about  plunging 
their  wooden  spoons  in  the  basin  of  savory  broth, 
when  the  door  was  pushed  violently  open,  and  an 
old,  gray-bearded  man,  entering  with  little  cere- 
mony, wished  the  company  a  good  appetite.  Every 
one  recognized  him  as  the  old  beggar  of  Pluvigner  ; 
who  bore  no  very  good  reputation  for  honesty,  and 
was  known  to  have  never  entered  a  church  in  his 
life.  He  was  accused  of  practising  witchcraft  upon 
the  cattle ;  of  blighting  the  corn  in  the  ear ;  and 
even  of  changing  himself  into  a  wild  beast,  when 

he  chose.     Nevertheless,  as  he  wore  the  privileged 
202 


=-^=^te=ri?asj_?= 


dress  of  a  beggar,  the  farmer  suffered  him  to  ap- 
proach the  fire  ;  and,  giving  him  a  three-legged 
stool,  handed  him  a  portion  of  the  feast.  "When 
he  had  finished  his  supper,  he  scowled  round  upon 
the  guests,  and  scarcely  thanking  his  hospitable 
entertainer,  demanded  a  shelter  for  the  night.  The 
farmer,  accordingly,  conducted  him  to  the  barn ; 
and  the  beggar,  pulling  down  a  bundle  of  hay, 
made  his  bed,  for  the  sake  of  warmth,  between  the 
old  galled  jackass,  and  a  lean  ox. 

He  had  not  been  lying  there  very  long,  when 
midnight  sounded  from  all  the  clocks  in  the  parish ; 
and  immediately  the  ass,  pricking  up  his  long  ears, 
turned  towards  his  companion,  and  courteously 
bade  him  good  evening.  The  ox,  who  did  not 
seem  particularly  well  pleased  with  the  intruder 
who  shared  his  couch,  turned  his  eyes  scornfully 
upon  the  beggar,  and  requested  his  good  friend,  the 
ass,  to  be  careful  how  he  suffered  interlopers  to  lis- 
ten to  their  conversation.  The  ass  replied,  by  snif- 
fing round  the  beggar's  head,  and  assuring  his  friend 
that  the  miserable  old  bone-picker  was  fast  asleep. 


"  Be  careful  how  you  call  names,  cousin  Long- 
ears,"  replied  the  ox  ;  "  the  beggar  is  a  powerful 
sorcerer,  and  may  do  us  some  harm.  He  has  not 
gained  much  by  his  witchcraft,  or  he  would  not  be 
in  such  a  wretched  plight.  I  wonder  his  magic 
does  not  teach  him  of  the  good  chance  he  might 
have,  if  he  were  only  here  a  few  days  hence." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  my  dear  cousin  Horny- 
head  ?"  asked  the  ass. 

"  Don't  you  know,  or  have  you  forgotten,  that 
once  every  hundred  years,  the  stones  on  the  heath 
of  Plouhinic  go  down  to  the  river  Intel  -to  drink  ; 
and  that  while  they  are  gone,  the  treasures  that  lie 
under  them  are  uncovered  ?" 

"  True,"  replied  the  ass  ;  "  but  the  stones  return 
so  quickly  to  their  places,  that  it  is  impossible  to 
avoid  being  crushed  by  them,  unless  one  has  a 
branch  of  witch-hazel,  twined  with  the  five-leaved 
clover.  Besides,  the  treasures  will  turn  to  dust, 
unless  they  are  moistened  with  human  blood ;  there 
must  be  some  one  sacrificed  before  the,  gold  of  Plou- 
hinic can  be  obtained." 


The  beggar,  who  had  scarcely  dared  to  breathe 
during  this  discourse,  had  not  lost  one  word  of  it 
all.  He  did  not  venture  to  go  to  sleep  until  he 
heard  the  loud  snoring  of  both  his  companions,  lest 
he  should  lose  some  information  on  the  subject. 
As  soon  as  the  day  began  to  dawn,  he  arose,  and 
went  into  the  fields,  to  look  for  the  five-leaved 
clover,  and  a  branch  of  the  witch-hazel  tree.  He 
was  obliged  to  travel  a  great  distance  in  order  to 
find  a  country  where  trees  and  grass  grew  plenti- 
fully ;  so  that  it  was  not  until  the  evening  of  the 
last  day  of  the  year  he  found  himself  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Plouhinic.  He  had  very  much  the  look  of 
a  weazel  who  had  just  found  a  pigeon's  nest ;  but 
his  work  was  not  yet  done,  for  the  next  night  was 
that  on  which  the  stones  were  expected  to  make 
their  centennial  excursion,  and  he  had  not  yet 
found  a  companion  for  his  undertaking. 

As  he  was  passing  over  the  wide  heath,  he 
saw  Bernez  busily  employed  in  striking  one  of 
the  largest  stones  with  a  pointed  chisel  and  ham- 
mer. 

205 


"  "What  are  you  doing,  Bernez  ?"  cried 
gar,    with   a    sneer.      "  Are  you  going  to  cut  a 
house  for  yourself  out  of  that  great  stone  ?" 

"  No,"  said  Bernez,  quietly ;  "  but  as  I  had 
nothing  to  do,  I  thought  I  would  carve  a  holy  text 
upon  one  of  these  fairy  stones." 

"  I  suppose  you  were  in  hopes  the  korigans 
would  do  you  some  kindness,"  grumbled  the  beg- 
gar. 

"  I  depend  upon  no  such  aid,"  replied  Bernez ; 
"  but  I  hope  that  Providence,  in  its  own  good  time, 
will  give  me  all  I  ask." 

"  Aha  !  you  think  to  win  Rozanne  by  prayers,  I 
suppose." 

"  Since  you  know  about  that  affair,  I  am  not 
ashamed  to  confess,  that  if  I  seek  riches,  it  is  for 
her  sake.  Marzinn  wants  a  brother-in-law  who 
can  count  as  many  reals  as  I  can  white  pennies." 

"Suppose  I  were  to  give  you  more  gold  pieces 
that  Marzinn  wants  of  reals  ?" 

"  You  !"  exclaimed  Bernez. 

"  Even  me,"  replied  the  sorcerer. 

20G 


"  What  would  you  require  in  return  ?" 

"  Nothing  but  your  thanks  and  prayers." 

"  Is  there  danger  in  the  undertaking  ?" 

"  Not  if  you  have  courage." 

"  Come  on  then,"  cried  Bernez,  dropping  his 
hammer.  "I  am  ready  to  face  twenty  dangers; 
for  I  would  almost  as  soon  go  out  of  the  world,  as 
live  without  Rozanne." 

When  the  beggar  found  Bernez  so  prompt,  he 
told  him  how,  on  the  following  night,  the  treasures 
of  the  heath  would  be  exposed  to  view;  but  he 
took  care  not  to  inform  him  of  the  means  of  avoid- 
ing the  stones  on  their  return.  The  young  man, 
believing  that  nothing  but  courage  and  quickness 
was  required,  answered : 

"  You  may  depend  upon  my  good  offices  for  the 
rest  of  your  life,  old  man.  I  will  now  finish  cut- 
ting this  holy  text,  and  when  it  is  time,  I  will 
meet  you  at  the  grove  of  pines  yonder." 

Bernez  kept  his  word,  and  one  hour  before  mid- 
night he  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the  black  fir-trees, 
where  he  was  soon  joined  by  the  beggar,  who  car- 

207 


ried  a  large  bag  in  each  hand,  and  another  sus- 
pended from  his  neck. 

"  Come,"  sakl  he  to  the  youth,  "sit  down  here, 
and  tell  me  what  you  will  do  when  you  have  as 
much  silver  as  you  can  carry." 

"  If  ever  I  have  as  much  silver  as  I  can  carry,  I 
will  give  my  sweet  Rozanne  every  thing  she  wants 
— from  cloth  up  to  silk,  from  rye  bread  up  to 
oranges." 

"  And  suppose  you  had  as  much  gold  as  you 
wanted  ?"  asked  the  sorcerer. 

"If  I  had  plenty  of  gold,"  answered  Bernez,  "I 
would  bestow  riches  upon  all  the  relations  of  Ro- 
zanne, and  upon  all  the  friends  of  her  friends , 
within  the  limits  of  the  parish." 

"  Suppose  you  should  have  innumerable  dia- 
monds and  precious  stones." 

"  Then  I  would  make  every-body  in  the  world 
rich  and  happy ;  and  I  would  tell  them  they  owed 
it  all  to  Rozanne." 

While  they  were  thus  whiling  away  the  time, 
the  clock  struck  twelve.     At  the  first  sound,  there 

208 


was  a  great  uproar  heard  upon  the  heath ;  and  by 
the  light  of  the  stars,  the  two  watchers  saw  the  im- 
mense stones  put  themselves  in  motion,  and  march 
towards  the  river.  They  descended  the  hill,  tear- 
ing up  the  earth  in  their  course,  and  clashing 
against  each  other,  in  their  haste,  like  a  troop  of 
thirsty  giants,  until  they  had  passed  the  forest  of 
fir-trees,  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  The 
moment  they  had  gone  by,  the  beggar  rushed  to 
the  heath,  followed  by  Bernez ;  and  there,  in  the 
places  just  now  occupied  by  the  stones,  they  beheld 
great  pits,  filled  to  the  brink  with  gold,  and  silver, 
and  precious  stones.  The  sorcerer  immediately 
began  to  fill  his  sacks,  calling  upon  Bernez  to  be 
quick  in  helping  him,  while  he  listened  to  the 
sounds  that  came  up  from  the  river  bank.  They 
had  just  filled  the  third  sack,  and  Bernez  was 
thrusting  some  diamonds  in  the  pockets  of  his 
jacket,  when  a  low  murmur,  like  the  muttering 
of  distant  thunder,  reached  their  ears.  The  stones 
had  taken  their  drink,  and  were  returning  to  their 
places.     On  they  came,  bending  forward  like  horse- 


I 


men  in  the  saddle,  and  crushing  every  thing  before 
them.     "When  Bernez  saw  them,  he  exclaimed : 

"  We  are  lost !  we  are  lost !" 

"  I  am  safe  enough,"  cried  the  sorcerer,  holding 
up  the  witch-hazel  branch,  crowned  with  its  wreath 
of  five-leaved  clover.  "  Here  is  my  safeguard ;  but 
the  treasure  must  be  moistened  with  human  blood, 
to  prevent  it  from  crumbling  to  dust ;  and  your 
evil  destiny  has  made  you  the  victim." 

As  he  spoke,  the  troop  of  stones  came  dashing 
forward ;  but  the  old  man  waved  before  him  his 
magical  branch,  and  they  turned  aside,  right  and 
left,  in  full  career  for  poor  Bernez.  The  unhappy 
youth  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  and  expected 
nothing  else  than  a  frightful  death ;  when,  to  his 
amazement,  the  stone  which  acted  as  leader  of  the 
band,  suddenly  stopped,  and  became  a  barrier  be- 
fore him.  Bernez  looked  up,  and  beheld  upon  it 
the  holy  text  which  his  hand  had  engraved  the 
evening  before.  The  inscription  had  consecrated 
the  stone,  and  its  evil  spirit  had  no  power  to  com- 
pel it  to  do  a  work  of  wickedness. 

210 


The  mighty  mass  of  stone  remained  fixed  before 
Bernez,  until  all  the  other  stones  had  found  their 
places,  and  then  it  darted,  like  a  sea-gull,  towards 
its  own.  -But  in  reaching  its  former  position,  it 
crossed  the  path  where  the  beggar  was  gathering 
up  his  sacks  of  treasure.  He  immediately  held  up 
his  witch-hazel  branch  ;  but  the  spells  of  magic 
had  no  power  over  a  stone  on  which  was  inscribed  a 
holy  text.  The  gigantic  pillar  rushed  fiercely  on, 
and  crushed  the  old  beggar,  like  an  insect,  beneath 
its  weight. 

Bernez  found  himself  master  not  only  of  the 
treasure  he  had  collected,  but  also  of  the  three 
bags  which  the  sorcerer  had  carried  off.  Marzinn 
was  now  very  happy  to  welcome  him  as  a  brother- 
in-law  ;  and  he  lived  happy  with  his  beloved  Ro- 
zanne,  for  the  rest  of  his  life. 


1 


CHAPTER    X. 


OR  several  evenings,  the  children 
had  been  deprived  of  their  usual 
amusement  by  visitors,    and,    as 
the  time  drew  near  for  the  pro- 
jected   journey,    they    began    to 
think  they  had  heard  the  last  of 
the  Breton  legends.    They  were  agree- 
ably disappointed,  therefore,  when  they 
once  more  found  grandpapa  seated  in 
"  Fairy  Hollow,"  and  prepared  to  tell  them 
a  story. 

"  To-morrow,  my  dear  children,"  said 
the  kind  old  man — "  to-morrow  I  shall  leave  you  ; 
and  before  I  return,  the  leaves,  which  are  even 
now  changing  their  summer  hues,  will  lie  sear  and 
dead  upon  the  earth.     I  am  going  to  look  upon 


212 


some  of  nature's  wonders  in  this  land  of  promise ; 
and  I  cannot  but  feel  that  it  will  probably  be  the 
last  of  my  journeyings  upon  earth.  I  have  been  a 
great  traveller  in  my  day  of  health  and  strength ; 
but  the  weight  of  eighty  years  now  lies  heavy  upon 
me,  and  a  nook  by  the  winter's  fire,  or  a  shelter 
from  the  summer's  heat,  must  hereafter  be  the  limit 
of  my  desires.  I  have  been  busied  in  arranging 
papers,  and  preparing  for  my  journey :  you  will 
not  be  surprised,  therefore,  if  I  acknowledge  my- 
self somewhat  fatigued  this  evening.  Frank  looks 
grave,  as  if  he  thought  I  was  going  to  make  an 
apology,  instead  of  telling  a  story." 

"  Oh,  no  grandpapa,"  exclaimed  Frank ;  "  if 
you  are  tired,  pray  don't  think  of  us  or  our  disap- 
pointments." 

"  I  will  satisfy  my  conscience,  Frank,  by  a  com- 
promise, and  will  tell  you  a  story,  provided  you  let 
me  off  with  a  short  one.  There  is  a  legend,  full 
of  moral  and  poetic  beauty,  which  I  reserved  to 
the  last,  because  I  had  half  a  mind  to  give  it  to 
you  in  the  ballad  form,   as  I  originally  heard  it. 

213 


=-*"A=^l_.._?     TT^=-t^-7^^=^.z: 


This  you  must  now  be  content  to  receive  in  plain 
prose  ;  and,  short  as  it  is,  you  will  find  enough  in 
it  to  occupy  your  thoughts,  if  you  rightly  under- 
stand it. 


ran  ipmace  w  ran  ®mw 


OR, 


THE  TEMPTATION  OF  PEREK. 


N    the    northwestern    coast    of 
Brittany,  adjoining  the  province 
of  Normandy,   extends   a   wide 
and  desolate  sand-beach,  known 
by  the  name   of  St.  Michael's 
Strand, — a  dreary  coast,  beaten 
by  the  waves,  which  break  here  with 
great  fury.     Two  or  three  little  cha- 
pels, much  frequented  by  mariners, 
and  a  few  miserable  cottages,  are  all 
that  disturb  the  monotony  of  this  vast 
stretch  of  sand.      The  strange  and  fan- 
tastic shapes  with  which  the  action  of  the  winds 

215 


e^ssss^ 


efiSbESs 


and  waves  has  heaped  the  drifting  sand,  adds  to 
the  wild  gloom  of  the  place.  Mountains  with 
beetling  cliffs,  castles  with  broken  battlements, 
tombs  with  crumbling  columns^  might  easily  be 
imagined  to  stand  around,  amid  the  fragments  of 
wrecks  and  rotting  ship-timbers,  which  lie  half 
buried  on  the  beach.  The  tradition  connected 
with  the  loftiest  of  these  sand-hills  is  both  poetical, 
and  full  of  fine  moral  truth. 

There  was  once  a  young  man,  named  Perek, 
who  was  beset  with  all  sorts  of  evil  desires.  He 
was  covetous,  and  yet  indolent ;  he  loved  luxury, 
and  hated  work.  He  was  envious,  too  ;  for  he  had 
seen  the  nobles  riding  to  church,  on  fine  horses, 
caparisoned  with  crimson  leather,  and  their  bridles 
plated  with  silver  ;  he  had  observed  the  young 
men's  rich  velvet  mantles,  their  silk  stockings,  and 
their  plumed  caps ;  and  more  than  all,  he  grew 
half  mad  with  jealousy,  when  he  saw  the  pretty 
young  girls  riding  on  pillions,  behind  these  fine 
fellows.  He  looked  on  his  own  rough  garments, 
his  wooden  shoes,  and  his  toil-browned  hands,  until 

216 


in 


he  grew  perfectly  wretched  at  his  humble  condi- 
tion, and  resolved  to  better  it  at  all  risks. 

While  he  was  in  this  unhappy  state,  he  encoun- 
tered a  certain  old  mendicant,  who  daily  sat,  beg- 
ging alms  at  the  cross  of  Yar.  Now,  this  old  man 
knew  every  thing  that  had  ever  happened,  from  the 
time  when  the  oldest  oaks  were  but  tiny  acorns, 
and  the  grayest  crows  only  unhatched  eggs.  He 
told  Perek  how  a  flourishing  city  had  once  stood 
on  the  place  now  occupied  by  the  high  drifts  of  St. 
Efflam,  on  St.  Michael's  strand.  This  city  had 
been  ruled  by  a  mighty  king,  whose  power  lay  in 
his  sceptre,  which  was  simply  a  branch  of  witch- 
hazel,  but  which  had  the  gift  of  procuring  him  all 
his  desires.  When  possessed  of  every  thing  he 
wished,  the  king  grew  very  wicked,  and  his  people 
soon  followed  his  example  ;  insomuch,  that  their 
enormity  at  length  brought  a  frightful  punishment, 
for  the  sands  which  surrounded  the  city  rose  up 
into  waves  like  the  sea,  and  utterly  ingulfed  it. 
No  trace  of  it  remained  except  the  high  mountain 
of  compact  sand,  which  still  reared  its  head  above 


eife- 


the  royal  palace ;  but  once  in  every  year,  on  the 
night  of  Pentecost,  a  passage  opens  into  the  heart 
of  the  mountain,  leading  directly '  into  the  king's 
treasure-house.  In  the  last  chamber  of  the  palace 
hangs  the  magical  sceptre,  and  he  who  would  ob- 
tain it,  must  enter  quickly,  and  as  quickly  retreat ; 
for  the  passage  opens  at  the  first  stroke  of  mid- 
night, and  closes  as  instantly,  when  the  last  stroke 
sounds,  not  to  be  re-opened  until  another  year  has 
passed  away. 

Perek  had  listened  to  this  story  with  eager  curi- 
ority  ;  and  when  next  came  the  season  of  Pente- 
cost, he  was  pacing  the  dreary  waste  of  sand,  at 
the  foot  of  St.  Efflam,  on  St.  Michael's  strand, 
waiting  for  the  midnight  hour.  The  waves  moaned 
sadly  at  his  feet,  and  the  wind  swept  with  mourn- 
ful sound  along  the  beach ;  but  his  heart  was  full 
of  covetous  desires,  and  he  was  determined  to  win 
the  witch-hazel  sceptre. 

At  length  the  moment  arrives.  The  first  stroke 
of  midnight  resounds  from  the  clock  of  St.  Mi- 
chael's   chapel ;     and   Perek,    trembling,    but   not 


affrighted,  beholds  the  mountain  of  sand  slowly 
rifting  itself  in  the  middle,  and  forming  a  compact 
wall  on  the  right  and  on  the  left,  leaving  a  passage 
between,  leading  into  the  very  heart  of  the  buried 
palace.  Grasping  his  knotted  club  firmly,  Perek 
entered  the  vaulted  opening.  At  first,  he  groped 
his  way  in  total  darkness,  then  a  glimmer  of  light 
appeared,  and  as  he  went  on,  he  found  himself  in 
a  hall  of  sculptured  stone.  The  first  saloon  he  en- 
tered was  lighted  by  a  lamp,  hung  from  a  marble 
pillar ;  and  Perek  beheld  bags  full  of  silver,  filled, 
and  running  over,  like  sacks  of  wheat  after  har- 
vest. 

But  Perek  wanted  something  more  precious  than 
silver,  and  he  went  on.  At  that  moment  he  heard 
the  sixth  stroke  of  the  clock. 

The  second  saloon  he  entered  was  lighted  from 
the  roof,  by  an  immense  chandelier,  like  that  in 
some  grand  cathedral ;  and  he  beheld  coffers  full 
of  gold,  ranged  around  the  room,  as  if  gold  was  as 
plenty  there  as  yellow  corn  in  a  granary. 

But  Perek  wanted  something  more  precious  than 


gold,  and  he  went  on.  At  that  moment  he  heard 
the  seventh  stroke. 

The  third  apartment  was  lighted  by  alabaster 
lamps ;  and  in  this  moonlight  radiance,  Perek 
gazed  with  wonder  on  great  baskets  overflowing 
with  pearls,  which  seemed  running  over  the  edges, 
like  a  foaming  milk-pail.  Perek  would  have  been 
very  glad  to  have  secured  some  of  these  as  presents 
for  the  pretty  girls ;  but  he  wanted  something 
more  precious  than  pearls,  and  he  went  on;  for  he 
heard  the  eighth  stroke  of  midnight. 

The  fourth  hall  needed  no  other  illumination 
than  that  of  its  magnificent  treasures  ;  for  piles  of 
diamonds  lay  in  every  corner,  giving  out  a  blaze 
of  splendor,  like  the  sun  at  noonday  shining  upon 
the  broad  ocean.  Perek  was  for  a  moment  daz- 
zled ;  he  paused,  and  reached  out  his  hand ;  but 
he  wanted  something  more  precious  than  diamonds, 
and  he  sprang  forward  to  enter  the  last  saloon,  just 
as  the  ninth  stroke  sounded  in  his  ears. 

But   in    that   last   fatal   apartment,    he   beheld 

greater  splendor  than  in  all  the  others.     Suspended 
220 


by  a  chain  of  diamonds,  at  the  end  of  the  superb 
hall,  hung  the  hazel- wand  sceptre ;  but  ranged  be- 
fore it,  and  as  it  were,  intercepting  his  approach, 
stood  an  hundred  maidens,  of  the  most  dazzling 
beauty,  clad  in  vestments  of  silken  gauze,  crowned 
with  gold  and  pearls,  and  bearing  in  one  hand  a 
cup  of  wine,  while  the  other  held  a  wreath  of  oak- 
leaves.  Perek  had  resisted  the  silver  and  the  gold, 
the  pearls  and  the  diamonds ;  but  the  bright  eyes  of 
these  lovely  maidens  were  not  thus  to  be  passed  by. 
He  stood  still,  gazing  upon  their  beauty.  The  tenth 
stroke  sounded,  but  it  fell  on  an  unconscious  ear. 
The  eleventh  rang  out,  but  he  heard  it  not.  Then 
clanged  the  tivelfth,  sounding  like  the  minute-gun 
which  announces  that  a  noble  ship  is  among  the 
breakers.  Perek,  startled  from  his  dream,  tried  to 
turn  back ;  but  it  was  too  late.  The  passage  was 
closed  against  him  ;  the  beautiful  maidens  relapsed 
into  an  hundred  stone  pillars,  supporting  the  heavy 
drifts  of  sand ;  and  Perek  was  shut  up  forever,  in 
the  midst  of  darkness  and  desolation. 


(D©M(D3LHiH©If, 


UITE  a  number  of  corded  trunks, 
cloaks,  and  umbrellas  was  to  be 
seen  next  morning  in  the  hall, 
and  the  children,  who  were  as- 
sembled round  the  breakfast  ta- 
ble an  hour  earlier  than  usual, 
seemed  trying  in  vain  to  look  cheer- 
ful, and  eat  heartily.  Their  hearts 
were  full,  for  they  were  soon  to  be 
left  quite  alone ;  and  a  separation 
from  their  father  and  mother,  even  for  a 
season,  was  scarcely  more  painful  than 
the  task  of  bidding  farewell  to  their  aged 
grandparents.  Instead  of  the  usual  chattering 
of  merry  voices,  every  one  hurried  through  their 


meal  in  silence ;  and  by  a  sort  of  unconscious  im- 
pulse, all  gathered  in  the  passage,  waiting  the  car- 
riage which  was  to  bear  the  travellers  away.  But 
now  there  were  directions  to  be  repeated,  and  cau- 
tions to  be  given,  and  duties  to  be  enjoined ;  for 
Wilhelm  and  Edith  were  left  to  fill  their  parents' 
place  hi  the  household  ;  and  each  of  the  children, 
even  down  to  little  Bertha,  had  some  daily  duty  to 
perform,  which  involved  responsibility  proportioned 
to  their  powers,  and  was  intended  to  beguile  the 
hours  of  absence. 

"  Do  not  look  so  sorrowful,  Frank,"  said  Grand- 
father Waldorf,  as  the  carriage  drove  up  to  the 
door.  "Two  months  will  soon  slip  away,  and  when 
the  snow  lies  thick  on  the  lawn,  and  bright  fires 
are  blazing  in  the  grates,  who  knows  but  we  may 
find  time  to  give  you  a  second  series  of  '  Grand- 
father's Legends  ?'  " 

223 


g^ggq-CrT-flg-r  r     -?=-r^p=J<p^y^ 


* 


!#lHlj!!Hl|!t]ilV'-  '-IP;  '■■:'■,  -i.  ,-m,,  .!.-  .     ■'• 


'"Hi|''ii|M;)iii.'ii-;'i 


JHP 

tar 

A* 

1.8 

•'«i--;'-'n'^^tt'MMi^^rr|P..,,|iMlifj:i:..;;t|t)i|liii|;i||i|tji 

^BBT" 


